TREE TO TABLE

Caring for the trees year round, to have high yielding trees and nutritious olives.

GROWING OLIVES

​​To make sure the trees have a wealthy growth we begin pruning them early in the year. Then, by spring, the trees flower and during the next months the initially small olive fruits grow. They reach their full size by October or November. Compared to other olive varieties the Arbequina variety has a small olive fruit, so even when fully grown the olive is never much large than 1cm in diameter.

​HARVESTING

In November, the harvesting of the olives begins. The reason for beginning the olive picking at this time, is that the olives are not yet fully ripe, which is beneficial as the proportion of unwanted free fatty acids is lower at this point. All olives are hand-picked and only to reach the highest branches a long, battery-operated pole with rubber prongs that shakes the branches is used. The olives are collected on large nets which lie under the olives trees. 

AT THE PRESS

Within two days of being picked, the olives are transported to a local press in Piera. Here, the olives are cleaned and then the oil is extracted at a temperature no higher than 23° C to ensure that all high-quality nutrients remain in the oil.  ​