Freddie worked hard for three days, picking the olives by hand – he insisted on it – to fill 20 crates. We have much more on the trees, but that’s all we need and we give the rest of the crop to Costa and Freddie. Ron’s very particular about how we pick and how quickly we get the olives to the mill. The more the fruit is bruised, and the longer it remains unpressed, the faster it loses that top quality, that peak of quality we like.
Olive picking has barely started on the Pelion this year, but we picked early. For one thing, our olives ripen early because we’re on the water, but also because we really like the flavor of this oil. Picking at the first opportunity does lower the yield, but we don’t sell our oil and oil from 20 crates is more than enough for us.
I called the mill we use and although they weren’t yet in full operation, the owner readily agreed to open that evening to press our olives.
The photos pretty much tell the story, from Freddie loading the car, to the washing of the olives and the pressing, as well as some of the folk at the mill. Remember to click on them so they enlarge.
The owner always raves about the quality of our oil. It’s described as Extra Extra Virgin, which amuses me in that one doesn’t think of virgin as having degrees of comparison. It’s also organic. The acidity level of our oil is so low that the mill, which has the very latest in equipment, cannot measure it accurately. To put it simply, you can’t get better oil than this.
Top photo is exquisite! And those olives–what bounty. I stand with Moira, drooling in envy.
Thanks Di. The oil is delicious, I must say.
My envy is nearly as green as your delicious oil.
That machinery is a joy to behold, not a spec of dust in sight. Far cry from the old method of crushing.
Yes, they run an impeccable operation. The oil is divine – absolutely delicious. I’m eating chunk after chunk of bread saturated in it…