The cultivation of the pumpkins begins in April when we sow the pumpkin seeds. Then we have to cultivate the plants of the pumpkins because only then we have a productively harvest.The environmental influences can decrease the harvest because when it is a hot and try summer the harvest is´n productively.The harvest of the pumpkins (they are yellow when they are ready to harvest) is at the end of september.



After we harvest the pumpkins they are divided into two pieces and then the valuable seeds are extractet from the rest of the pumpkin This process is done manually in most cases and it´s called "Kürbis putzen" in Styria!



After the extraction of the seeds the seeds are dried and then they are brought to a oil mill where the press process begins.We need 35 kg dried pumpkin seeds for one press process to get about 15 litre pumpkin seed oil. It´s the truth that we neet 2,5 kg dried pumpkin seeds to get 1 litre pure pumpkin seed oil.

 
After cleaning the pumpkin seeds they are grinded.

 

After girnding the following ingredients are put into the big meal pot whith the grinded pumpkin seeds: salt and water.Then these ingredients are stired and after stiring they are put into the roast pot where the are roasted.

 
The roasting process lasts about 45 minutes and after that process the roasted pumpkin seeds are ready for the press process.

 
The roasted pumpkin seeds are put into the bot of the press where the press process starts.

 
Here you see the oil press and the fresh pumkin seed oil.


After the press process we have two products:
-- the valuable "black gold" of Styria - the pumpkin seed oil and
-- a try, hard mass which is used to produce a low quality oil or it´s -----also used for animal food.


Here you can see our pressmasters which accompanied us through the press process which lasted about 2,5 to 3 houres.