Olive oil lovers who look longingly at the fresh ripe olives on their trees in their backyard and wonder how to extract the oil can do it in their kitchen, and those with larger groves can pick their processor to make the best fresh oil.

The recently published ‘The Olive Oil Maker’s Handbook’ explains how to extract olive oil in the kitchen and in state of the art commercial processing lines.

Practical and concise, it summarises each stage of the process and provides guidelines on how to select the oil processor that can make the best extra virgin olive oil from your olives, or use standard kitchen utensils to extract smaller amounts at home. Helpful hints are given on how to preserve the aroma, taste and health benefits of the final product.

The advantages and disadvantages of the various olive oil extraction systems are listed to help the producer and processor select the one most suited to their pocket and enterprise.

Sections cover the classification of olive oils, chemical and physical characteristics, oil producing varieties, harvesting, extraction systems, refining, blending and infusing and basic taste and chemical evaluation.

The handbook, presented in the widely applauded practical format of cards in plastic sleeves, is designed to be used in processing plants and kitchens, without being soiled ‘or oiled’.

The Olive Oil Maker’s Handbook adds to the suite of olive handbooks written by Simon Field and published and distributed by Salsi Pty Ltd. Others include ‘The Olive Handbook’ for growers, ‘The Table Olive Handbook’ for table olive processors, and ‘The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Taster’s Companion’ for olive oil tasters and marketers. In April 2006, the fifth in the series, ’The Olive and Olive Oil Marketer’s Handbook’ will be published.