THE story behind
Harvesting season is like a ritual and a holy grail to us that love nature and olive oil!
Traditionally, picking olives is done by hand, even in commercial groves. Today, more growers use modern machinery to help them harvest the crop. This means using a long handled, vibrating tong to shake the olives from the branches and onto nets spread out under the tree always protecting the tree and the seed.
Nets are laid around trees to catch the falling olives. Long sticks or “sea-urchin” like machinery are then used to strike the branches and knock off any stubborn olives that may remain.
Harvest matters
The key to the olive oil flavor, taste, color, and texture is the moment of harvesting. Olives can be harvested when it is green and unripe, fully ripened to black, or any stage in between. We don’t use damaged olives for pressing it into oil.
It is the combination of the preparation, the harvest ways and the cure, that yield the characteristics sought by the producer and consumer.
our Approach
Season starts, we are here!
Harvesting olive trees may begin as early as late August and will continue through January depending upon the region, variety and desired ripeness. They are picked for both eating and processing into oil, so the degree of ripeness is important and a factor in the timing of harvest.
The olives are then taken to a communal press. Most communities have a press nearby. It’s key to press the olives as soon as possible after they’re picked.
