Characterization of ‘Castellana’ Virgin Olive Oils with Regard to Olive Ripening

Abstract

<jats:p>The production of high-quality virgin olive oil from traditional olive (<jats:italic>Olea europaea</jats:italic> L.) varieties with peculiar and differential characteristics is of great interest for the olive oil market. ‘Castellana’ is an autochthonous variety mainly located in the center of Spain. The aims of this study were 1) the characterization of ‘Castellana’ virgin olive oils and 2) the evaluation of the influence of fruit ripening degree on the oil quality to establish an optimum harvest time for ‘Castellana’ olives. A wide range of physicochemical and sensorial quality parameters were assayed in oils produced at four harvest times during three crop seasons. ‘Castellana’ oils could be classified into the extra virgin category at all ripening degrees studied. This variety provides well-balanced oils from the sensorial point of view with an optimum chemical composition. Nevertheless, fruit maturation had a strong effect in various quality parameters, especially total phenol content, total tocopherol content, sensorial quality, and to a lesser extent in fatty acid composition. Loss of antioxidants and decrease in sensorial quality take place during olive ripening, reducing the nutritional, sensorial, and commercial quality of virgin olives oils as the harvest is delayed. Results suggest that the production of optimal extra virgin olive oil requires that ‘Castellana’ olives should be harvested from the middle of November to the middle of December, coinciding with a ripening index between 3.1 and 4.1. These results are of great importance to the olive oil industry for improving the quality of virgin olive oils produced from ‘Castellana’.</jats:p>

Influence of ripening index and water regime on the yield and quality of “Moroccan Picholine” virgin olive oil

“…In fact, oil content accumulates in olive fruits as the ripening progresses (Motilva et al, 2000;Dag et al, 2011;Bakshi et al, 2018;Sönmez et al, 2018). In the same trend, Benito et al (2013) and Mena et al (2018) reported an increase in the industrial oil yield during olive maturation.…”

“…The industrial oil yield (extracted oil), given in percentage of fresh olive paste weight (W) and considering the olive oil density (D) at ambient temperature of 0.915 g.mL À1 , was determined using the formula (Mena et al, 2018):…”

Genotype‐dependent regulation of vitamin E biosynthesis in olive fruits as revealed through metabolic and transcriptional profiles

“…; Mena et al . ) and emphasises the importance of olives (and olive oil) as a valuable source of vitamin E in our diet.…”

Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Extra Virgin Olive Oils Produced in Central Iberian Peninsula Under the Protected Designation of Origin Quality Scheme

“…The evaluation of the sensory characteristics of the different monovarietal oils of the PDOs found in literature are reported in Table 2. In the case of the Castellana variety, according to the literature [11] its oil possesses quite high values as well: 3.3 for bitterness and 4.0 for pungency. On the contrary, in the case of Manzanilla cacereña and Cornezuelo oils a lower score in these two positive attributes is observed: for example, 1.2 and 0.5 for bitterness respectively as compared to 4.2 for Cornicabra (unstructured 10 cm scale; www.advancedsciencenews.com www.ejlst.com Table 2).…”

“…According to its product specification, its protected EVOO is obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europea L.) exclusively of the Cornicabra cultivar, by mechanical procedures or other physical means that do not produce alteration in the oil, preserving the flavor, aroma and characteristics of the olive fruit from which it is manufactured. [10,11] Municipalities belonging to the agrarian counties of Mancha, Pastos y Campo de Montiel, all of them in the province of Ciudad Real, are covered by the PDO Aceite Campo de Montiel (EU 543/ 2010, 21 June 2010). From the sensory www.advancedsciencenews.com www.ejlst.com point of view this PDO oil presents a medium to intense scores for the positive attributes of fruity, bitter, and pungent.…”