The Heating Oven

Gently Heating

Before pressing, the crushed oil-bearing seeds and nuts were warmed in the heating oven.

Heating loosened their cellular structure, allowing the oil to be released more easily and increasing the amount that could be extracted.

The oven was wood-fired, and its temperature had to be carefully controlled to prevent the quality of the oil from being affected.

Notice the drive mechanism for the agitator: a wooden shaft connected it to the mill’s transmission system, while a rope mechanism allowed it to be engaged or disengaged.