Vitelium Lemon Oil, 250 ml. Lemon oil made from olives and untreated lemons, cold-pressed together in Molise – for fish, antipasti, and raw vegetables.

Vitelium Lemon Oil, 250 ml is an olive oil preparation based on extra virgin olive oil and lemons: 77 percent olives from Vitelium's own groves in Molise and 23 percent fresh, untreated lemons are pressed together. Naturally fruity, delicately acidic, and without added flavorings. 250 ml for cold dishes and the finished plate. Not a frying oil and not a subsequently flavored olive oil.

Lemon oil from Vitelium is a lemon oil produced by joint pressing: the lemons are cold-pressed together with the olives, rather than having a finished olive oil mixed with lemon afterward. For every 100 kilograms of olives from their own groves, Vitelium adds 30 kilograms of untreated citrus fruits to the press. The result is labeled as an olive oil preparation, as the term extra virgin olive oil is reserved for pure olive oil. The flavor of the southern Italian lemon comes entirely from the fruit itself. The 250 ml bottle is for everyone who regularly seasons fish, vegetables, and salad with lemon and wants an oil for this purpose instead of a lemon wedge.

Lemon from the peel, olive oil underneath

The oil smells of fresh lemon peel, and that is exactly how it tastes: naturally fruity and delicately acidic, just as Vitelium describes it. Beneath this lies the green early-harvest olive oil with its slight bitterness, which carries the lemon rather than overpowering it.

The difference compared to oils with added flavorings is evident on the palate. The lemon acts like the fruit itself, with its peel and freshness, and lingers for a while after the olive oil. Anyone expecting the acidity of lemon juice will get something else: a refined acidity and plenty of aroma from the peel.

Grilled fish, antipasti, raw vegetables

Vitelium recommends this oil for antipasti, raw vegetables, as well as grilled fish and meat dishes. The simplest way to use it: a spoonful over a grilled sea bream, a pan-seared salmon, or a trout fillet from the oven, just before serving. You usually won't need lemon juice or butter anymore.

For antipasti, drizzle the oil over grilled zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers or over mozzarella with tomatoes. Finely sliced raw vegetables become a salad with it: fennel, zucchini, kohlrabi, along with salt and pepper. Chicken or a grilled veal cutlet also benefit from a spoonful at the end.

Using the oil in a pan would be a waste, as the volatile citrus notes evaporate with the heat. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place and keep it tightly sealed so that the freshness of the lemon is preserved.

Our tip: Cook spaghetti, drain, and mix with lemon oil, grated Parmesan, pepper, and a little pasta water. A dish prepared in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and one that will have guests asking for the recipe.

Olives and lemons in one press, in Molise

The olives for this come from Vitelium's own groves in Molise, a small region south of the Abruzzo. They are harvested early and by hand and taken to the oil mill within six hours. There, the untreated lemons are added, and both are cold-pressed together using purely mechanical means.

Behind Vitelium are Dr. Davide Petrollino, a plant biologist from Campobasso who oversees cultivation and production in Provvidenti, and his wife Constanze Engelbrecht, who runs the company from Hamburg. No fertilizers or pesticides are used in the cultivation of the olives. You can find more about olive oil and flavored oils in our guide to cooking oils.

The oil for everyone who cooks fish and vegetables

The bottle is intended for kitchens where fish, vegetables, and salad are frequently on the menu. It replaces the lemon wedge on the plate while providing the olive oil the dish needs anyway. As a gift, it is perfect for people who enjoy Mediterranean cooking.

In addition, the Frentanum in 250 ml, the pure olive oil from the same producer for salads and bread, is worth considering. If you prefer truffle over lemon, you will find Vitelium’s second flavored oil in the White Truffle Oil in 250 ml. You can find all the manufacturer's products on the Vitelium page, and further varieties in our flavored oils category.

The oil is not suitable for frying or deep-frying, or for anyone expecting a strongly acidic dressing. For that, you need vinegar; the lemon comes from the oil.

A lemon oil made from olives and untreated lemons in one press, without added flavorings, from Molise – in a 250 ml bottle for fish, antipasti, and raw vegetables.