Influence of Storage Temperature on Fruit Ripening and Olive Oil Quality

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.