Styrian pumpkin seed oil and Styria!
No other food is so inextricably linked to Styria in terms of its origin and development as Styrian pumpkin seed oil.
This regionality must be preserved and this typical specialty protected. That is why the EU Commission approved the protected geographical indication "Styrian pumpkin seed oil" for Styrian pumpkin seed oil as early as 1996 in accordance with the then valid Regulation (EEC) No. 2081/92.
Source: www.steirisches-kuerbiskernoel.eu
How its made?
Sowing and cultivation of the Styrian oil pumpkin
The production process of our Styrian pumpkin seed oil g.g.A begins every year towards the end of April with the sowing of the pumpkin seeds.
As seed we use exclusively regional and traditional varieties of the Styrian oil pumpkin.
The optimal time, the right soil temperature and the correct processing and nutrient supply of our soils are crucial for the optimal quality and the incomparable taste of our seed oil.
how its grown?
After about 10 days, you can already spot the small pumpkin plants from the ground.
This phase of plant development is called emergence.
By properly nourishing and weeding the weeds, we then grow our squash plants until they reach the creep-leaking stage.
In this phase, the plant forms your flowers.
fertilization of the flower
The pumpkin has separate female and male flowers on a plant.
They are only fertilized by bumblebees and honeybees.
The bumblebees are much better pollinators than the bees.
Our bees should be protected! So we try to avoid any kind of crop protection that could be dangerous for bees.
Our bee colonies on the edge of our pumpkin fields are also doing their work.
Harvesting
In autumn, when our pumpkins are mature, the pumpkin harvest begins.
The pumpkins grown in the plant row are adjusted for the harvesting machine in a certain distance so that they can be detected by the so-called "hedgehog". Previously, the harvest of pumpkin seeds was still done by hand.
This exhausting work has now been completely modernized.
storage of our kernels
Our previously washed pumpkin seeds after drying are packed in paper bags and stored in it. In this way we avoid the penetration of pollutants and plasticisers? into our product. We only use paper sacks that are produced from sustainable forestry.
from the kernel to the oil
The dried, fully ripe, thick-bellied and dark green pumpkin seeds are a prerequisite for a first-class Styrian pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. - They are only when needed, so always fresh, pressed.
Approximately 2.5 to 3 kg of these peelless pumpkin seeds are used for one liter of Styrian pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. needed - a high use of goods for high quality. For pressing, the pumpkin seeds are first ground, then kneaded and then gently roasted.
The experience of the respective press master is of particular importance here, because with his know-how, he decides when the roasting process is completed and the pressing can take place. Previously, the pressing was done with the help of a wooden "oil cow", wherein the roasting mass was trapped in a cloth between two wedges and the "Ölausschläger" knocked out the oil with a mallet and a lot of effort.
Nowadays, the oil refillers have state-of-the-art presses at their disposal that enable a gentle but effective pressing. The fresh seed oil is then allowed to stand for several days in suitable containers, so that still contained suspended and waste products can settle on the ground. Only then will the ready-to-eat oil be bottled, thus entering the regional and international sales shelves.