Crushing

Crushing is the first step in transforming the olive: the whole fruit — flesh and pit — is broken down to release the oil it contains and begin separating it from the other components. The quality of this step directly determines the yield and organoleptic qualities of the resulting oil.

Pieralisi crushers stand out for their counter-rotating grid, whereas most crushers on the market use a fixed grid. This technical choice allows continuous operation while controlling the paste's temperature rise, whatever type of olive is being processed.

Three objectives guide the design of each crusher: releasing the maximum amount of oil and valuable minor compounds, breaking down the pit to a particle size suited to the rest of the process, and limiting oxidation of the paste to reduce peroxide formation. Single-grid and double-grid configurations allow the crushing intensity to be adjusted as needed, and a hopper elevator can be added to regulate the olive feed.