Sicilian Lemon Oil
The methods used for oil extraction of Sicilian lemon oil are:
Hand pressing
- Sponge
- Ecuelle
Machine processing
Two methods are use:
- Sfumatrici – The fruit is halved and the juice first expressed by reaming. The peels are then individually pressed to release the oil.
- Pellatrice. The whole fruit in a fine stream of water, the oil and cellular detritus being separated and the water recycled. The oil is obtained by centrifuged the liquor and pressing the solid matter.
The oxygenated constituents of lemon oil, to which the oil owes most of its odor and flavor, are the more soluble in water and for the highest quality oil it is desirable to separate it from any aqueous phase as rapidly as possible.
Although widely used, centrifuging is not an entirely satisfactory method of achieving separation owing to the formation of persistent emulsions.
Lemon tree tend to produce fruit continuously but the age of the tree and growing conditions result in a more-or-less seasonal cropping.
Sicilian Lemon Oil
