When to Harvest Olives
In this article we will see when olives are harvested to make oil
The olive harvest is one of the most important phases of the production of extra virgin olive oil. In general, the olive harvest takes place between October and December, but the exact date depends on several factors such as the olive variety, climate and geographical region.
The Olive Season
In many areas of Italy such as Sicily, the olive harvest begins at the beginning of October and continues until December. This period is called "Olive Season" and represents a moment of great importance for farmers and producers of extra virgin olive oil.
In any case, olive harvesting requires a lot of care and attention. Olives must be harvested when they are ripe, but not overripe, otherwise they could spoil or deteriorate. Additionally, olives must be harvested without damaging the fruit or tree.
How Olives are Harvested
HAND HARVESTING
Harvesting olives by hand is a traditional technique and still widely used, especially in small farms. This practice involves harvesting olives directly from the trees, using your own hands or hand combs.
To harvest olives in this way, greater care and attention is required compared to mechanized harvesting, but the great advantage is that of keeping the quality of the olives intact. Additionally, hand-harvested olives are less prone to damage, such as scratches or bruises, than mechanized harvesting.
Harvesting olives by hand requires careful manual work and a certain degree of experience, to ensure the olives are harvested at the right time, when they are ripe at the right point of ripeness. This technique also requires a certain skill in selecting the best olives and discarding those unsuitable for the production of olive oil.
Harvesting olives by hand requires a lot of time and work, but allows us to produce a high quality oil, with an intense and authentic flavour. However, this technique is very expensive compared to mechanized harvesting and requires a lot of labor, making it less convenient for large farms.
MECHANIZED HARVESTING:
Mechanized olive harvesting is an increasingly widespread technique in agriculture, particularly in large companies that have special equipment and machinery for olive harvesting.
This technique involves the use of specialized machines and equipment, such as electric combs, to harvest olives from trees.
Mechanized olive harvesting allows you to reduce the costs and time needed for harvesting, compared to harvesting by hand. Furthermore, it allows a greater quantity of olives to be harvested in a shorter time, increasing the productivity of farms.
However, mechanized olive harvesting can have some disadvantages. For example, it can cause damage to the olives, such as scratches or dents, due to the friction generated by the machines. Furthermore, mechanized harvesting does not allow the olives to be selected at the right time, as the machines harvest the olives indiscriminately, even if they are not yet ripe.
Post-Harvest Selection
To overcome these problems, many farms use a post-harvest selection system, which involves separating ripe olives from those that are still immature. Furthermore, equipment for mechanized olive harvesting has been significantly improved over the years, reducing the risk of damage to the olives.
In summary, the mechanized harvesting of olives is an increasingly widespread technique in agriculture, which allows to reduce costs and increase the productivity of agricultural companies but which however involves some obvious disadvantages, such as the risk of damage to the olives and the difficulty in selecting them .
How and When Olives are Harvested in Angimbe
In the olive groves of the Angimbe bio-ethical farm, the harvest takes place by hand, with the help of olive harvesters. We prefer to start harvesting oil olives at the beginning of veraison, in the month of October. In this way the oxidation process has not even started, and it is possible to obtain the best possible quality, despite sacrificing the quantity produced which will clearly be lower. We do this consciously, so that we can offer our customers a unique oil.
After the Harvest
Once harvested, the olives are transported to the mill for pressing. Freshly harvested olives must be pressed within 24-48 hours of harvesting, to prevent them from oxidizing and losing their aroma and taste.
At the Angimbe Bio-Ethical Farm we grind within a few hours of harvesting. In this way the olive is pressed while still very fresh and will produce a fragrant oil free from defects.
The olive harvest represents a crucial moment in the production of extra virgin olive oil. Choosing the right date to start the harvest, the care in harvesting and the speed in transporting the olives to the mill are all important factors to guarantee the quality of the final product. We at Angimbe know this well and we take care of each of these phases meticulously in order to guarantee our customers an authentic Organic Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the highest quality.
Visit the page dedicated to our Organic and Monocuiltivar oils !
