Our very OWN olive oil

Wow....let me start by saying...its hard work...IF you do it ALL by HAND....and yes...that is what our ENTIRE family did.....in the morning...it started with putting the net around the olive tree, not too close to the bark....but not too far out....not too easy...some speculating of where the olives would fall when we shook the tree with the rake....first tree net done...shaking can begin. Some of us hand-picked the olives...others used the small rake to "brush the olive trees "hair"" and one of the family members was using the long rake to "brush the hair".....hard work...and you definitely need patience....let me share some pics.....

Laying the net

The net laid

Kim using the long rake

Sofia and I picking by hand

Mutti picking by hand

Dad using the small rake

Sofia using the small rake

After raking and hand-picking...it was time to use the baskets to collect all the olives from the nets. This included the green as well as the dark purple olives. the green olives just are not ripe yet. However, whether green or purple there is no quality difference...the green ones just press less oil. The basket kind of fits around ones waist...quite cool...let me share some pics...

 Kim and me

Kim and me with basket and long rake

 Me with the basket

Me showing off my collection of olives

Sofia and Kim raking for olives

Sofia collecting olives with her basket

Mom collecting olives with her basket

Of course....after one tree was done...you move onto the next tree. Yes, there are machine rakes that probably are a lot easier...but for us it was a fun task that we wanted to experience the real way...and we soon started to realise how much hard work it was....and we would most definitely appreciate every drop of olive oil. In general one says about 10kg of olive oil makes about 1L of olive oil....wow....no wonder it is expensive....but so worth the effort...well at least that is what we were hoping. Let me share some last two pics of Sofia...

Sofia wondering around

Sofia on the olive net

The next step...of course to bring the olives to a farm who will press our olives for oil. Normally this needs to be booked well in advance and normally you need at least 100kg of olives. We however, had a spur of the moment decision and were hoping that with our 35kg the farmer would help us...after some discussions and I guess the farmer feeling sorry for our hard work going to waste (cause to start up the machinery is quite costly), he decided he would try to press our olives the next day...."come back tomorrow afternoon and we can see what I managed to do"....man, we were so excited....this could mean our own olive oil...oh my word.....holding our breath and hoping...let me share a pic of the press...
Olive oil press

Amazing news....the next day we received.......drum roll.....4L of olive oil..and wow....it was so green....of course that is because it is freshly pressed....and oh my word....so damn delicious....let me share some pics...
Sofia bringing the olive oil tins

Olive oil in the tins

Olive oil in the glass...check the green colour

So yes....we had a lot of fun...but damn...it is VERY hard work...and I think we appreciate olive oil even more...but the fresh from the press...the really green one...so damn good...so damn flavoursome...yummie. We love it. So yes...that was a small glimpse into the effort of harvesting olive trees and then pressing it and finally enjoying it.

Hope you learnt something new...I am going to go and eat my Bistecca with fresh olive oil and coarse salt now....yummie...goodnight. 



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