The Olive Harvest

At this time of year, farmers in our area are all out harvesting their olives.  I took part for the first time this year, picking the olives from our lone olive tree located in the corner of one of our grenache vineyards.  Matt was on the tractor plowing, so I occupied myself by taking a plastic bag and picking all of the olives I could reach, which was just about all of them, except for one side, which was tough reach since it was flanked by a ditch.  If  I was really serious, I could have gone to borrow an olive-picking ladder from a farmer nearby, but I wasn't that serious, and there were maybe 30 more olives that I could have picked.

Harvesting olives for olive oil takes place from November-January, depending on the type of olive you have. They are picked as the olives turn from green to black, as you can see here, they are just beautiful, some still green, some a pinkish green color, and some already a deep purple-black.  Harvesting is not an easy job, and isn't mechanized in our area.  Some people pick them by hand, putting them into a small basket as they go, some use a rake-like tool to comb the olives off of the branches, they then fall to the ground into nets laid around the base of the tree.  There are several olive mills around that you can take your olives to, they will then process them and give you a corresponding amount of oil.  Since my olives didn't add up to much, I got about two cereal bowls full, and they had all already turned black, I decided that the mill probably wouldn't be interested in my 2007 olive crop.  Therefore,  I decided to cure them in a brine of salt and vinegar.  We'll see how they turn out.  Someday I hope to have enough olive trees to be able to make a few bottles of La Gramière olive oil, but for now I'll have to settle for a few jars of black olives!  Christmas presents maybe?

Comments

[doris from germany]

hi amy! would it be possible for you to post the recipe for the brine? i picked my olives this weekend (yes, they do grow in germany, on my balcony). i got about 500g and have pricked them a little. now they sit in water for 10 days - and then i want to brine them, but have no idea how. any ideas for a brine would be highly welcome! best, doris

[farley]

I'd love to be able to pick olives and use them for whatever I could. There's just something about having a deeper connection to food or drink if you grew, picked, and/or made it yourself.

[Azad Khan]

I have read your articals. I have a agricultural farm and I am planning to grow palm tree. Will u please tell me how much time takes to get the Olive .