Influence of Storage Temperature on Fruit Ripening and Olive Oil Quality

Abstract

Olives (Olea europaea cv. Picual) used for oil production were stored for 60 days at three different temperatures (ambient, 5 °C, and 8 °C) in containers used for fruit storage, each with a capacity for 64 kg of olives. The quality of both the fruits and the oils extracted from these fruits was analyzed. Fruit storage at 5 °C maintained the initial sensorial and chemical qualities of the oil for 45 days, but at 8 °C, these qualities were maintained for only 15 days. At room temperature, these qualities deteriorated just after 7 days of storage.