Β71 - Olive trees at Stavri, a village near Gerolimenas

Olive oil was Mani’s main exporting product. Up until the end of the 19th century, it was mainly produced in the fertile lands of North Mani. Efforts to establish olive tree cultivation in rocky South Mani began with the establishment of the Greek state. This is how the olive oil production process was done in pre-industrial, animal-drawn oil mills: Initially, the olives were crushed with a millstone. The pulp that was produced was placed in special sacks called tsantiles. These sacks would then go through a further pressing process. The oil that was produced from this process was of excellent quality. The next step was to soak the sacks by pouring hot water over them and putting them through the pressing process once again. The product of this process was a combination of oil, water and other elements. All impurities were separated from the olive oil during the final stage of production.