The Difference Between Fused and Infused

Fused Olive Oil

A “fused” olive oil (or “agrumato, in Italy), is made by crushing ripe, sound olives with whole, fresh fruits, herbs or vegetables at the time of crush. In the winter at the Veronica Foods mill in Tunisia, citrus fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness, split in half and then thrown in with the olives. The olives and fruit are then crushed simultaneously. This process allows for the essential oils from the citrus peel to mingle with the oil from the olives. Ripe olives contain up to 20% oil, but the majority of an olive is comprised of water. The waste water from the citrus and olives are centrifuged away, and the result is a bright, fresh, fused citrus olive oil.

More than 90% of the world’s fused or agrumato olive oil is made in the Northern Hemisphere. Because agrumato is typically made from ripe olives at the end of the season, the window for crushing in the Northern Hemisphere is in the winter, usually between mid December and late January.

Infused Olive Oil

Infusing is the process of adding flavour to olive oil after is has been made. Our supplier only makes infused extra virgin olive oils from the freshest extra virgin olive oil available in their collection, that are most aesthetically compatible with the natural products they use to flavour them with.  This mandate requires that the chemistry, freshness and quality of the infused olive oil is second to none.