The olive harvest, a time of new beginnings, has been an important event for centuries. In its purest form, olive oil has a magical allure and is a gift to our hearts.
A RICH AND STORIED HISTORY
Olive oil has a rich and storied history. The olive tree symbolizes peace, wisdom, friendship, and abundance, and its fruit and oil have been consumed and valued for 4,000 years.
In ancient Egypt, olive oil was not just a culinary staple but a key ingredient in skincare and religious rituals. Its symbolic representation of purity was deeply rooted in the culture. The Minoans and Phoenicians promoted the production and trade of oil and spread its influence throughout the Mediterranean region.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans elevated the status of olive oil even further by using it in rituals to anoint nobles and athletes. The great ancient Greek physician Hippocrates recognized its medicinal properties and called it “the great healer,” while the Greek poet Homer referred to it as “liquid gold.”
The great Roman agricultural writer Columella said, “Olea prima omnium arborum est,” which means “The olive tree is the first amongst trees.” For the Greeks and Romans, the olive tree was considered a sacred gift from the goddess of wisdom (Athena) and a symbol of the earth’s prosperity.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS
The health benefits of olive oil are widely researched and recognized. The consumption of olive oil is associated with everything from improved cholesterol levels and better mood to stronger bones and even a healthy gut microbiome, and it is part of a healthy diet to prevent chronic diseases.
The consumption of extra virgin olive oil is positively related to life expectancy. We know this because people in regions where olive oil is a diet staple tend to live longer and healthier lives. A large epidemiological study, in which over 40,000 Spanish subjects were observed for 13.5 years, found that those with the highest olive oil intake were far less likely to die early.
Scientific research has uncovered a wealth of health benefits of olive oil. It can protect against stroke, heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It also improves bone health and brain function and may even inhibit the compounds responsible for Alzheimer’s and dementia. The wealth of knowledge allows us to make healthier nutritional choices.
The most significant health benefits come from extra virgin olive oil extracted from the olives without heat or chemicals. The natural extraction process retains all the antioxidants and nutrients, unlike regular olive oil, which is refined, stripping it of its many nutritional benefits.
OLIVE OIL QUALITY
Just like wine, many factors influence the quality of olive oil. These include:
- Pruning
- Soil conditions/location
- Climate during the ripening phase
- How ripe the olives are when harvested
- The olive variety
- Harvesting time and method
- The length of time between harvesting and pressing
- The extraction technique
- How the oil is packaged and stored
Importantly, well-tended trees produce the best olive oil. Pruning is the basis for quality and must be carried out in winter. You can see which olive groves are predisposed to produce higher-quality oil just by the tree’s appearance. That said, the time and nature of harvesting and the processing technique also define the quality of the oil.
THE OLIVE OIL HARVEST
The olive harvest has been an important traditional and cultural event for centuries. It is also commercially significant in Spain, which produces 50% of the world’s olive oil.
Olive trees begin to blossom in the spring, filling the air with a lemony scent. In August, the trees bear fruit, which is harvested in the fall. In September, the olives are green, but by mid-December, they are dark in color, ranging from violet to black, depending on the variety. Green and black olives are identical fruits at different stages of ripeness.
There are different methods for harvesting olives. Manual harvesting involves collecting the olives by hand, typically using a long-handled rake. It is labor-intensive but is favored for smaller harvests, typically of the higher quality olives used for the best extra virgin olive oils. This is the harvesting method used at HACIENDA DEL PASTELERO to ensure the highest quality oil.
Larger-scale olive harvesting uses modern machines to shake the tree while collection nets catch the olives. Dedicated machinery combines mechanical shaking and collection for extensive olive groves, where vast pieces of land have trees planted in rows.
It is not advisable to allow olives to drop to the ground and gather them because they are susceptible to oxidization once they are on the ground. This triggers fermentation and creates a rancid taste in the oil.
Olives must be harvested and pressed immediately to produce the finest oil. Each tree bears between 3 and 20 kilos of olives. Only one liter of oil is extracted from approximately 6-7 kilos of olives.
THE PRESSING STAGE
Not all olive oils are created equally. The way oil is extracted from olives matters to quality.
Once harvested, the olives are transported to an olive mill. This period is critical. As soon as olives are picked from the tree, they lose quality. Premium producers, therefore, process their olives within 4-8 hours of harvesting.
Pressing involves several steps, and there are different processes.
First, regardless of the method, the olives are cleaned. This must be carried out carefully to remove any leaves and branches. If left in, leaves and branches release unpleasant aromas into the oil when pressed.
The olives are then ground to make a pulp or paste. The longer a paste is left to oxidize in the open air, the higher the yield, but this also harms quality. Premium producers will avoid this.
In times past, the paste would have been spread onto special mats stacked in a hydraulic press. The pressure generated by the press separated the liquid from the paste. The extracted liquid, composed of oil and water, would also need to be separated before bottling the oil.
Nowadays, the more modern cold-pressing process is cold extraction. This technique mixes and grinds the olives, the paste of which is then pressed into centrifugal pumps operating at several thousand revolutions per minute to separate the oil from the solid residue and water.
Highly commercial, large-scale olive oil production tends to use hot pressing, which involves extracting oil at high temperatures. This results in a higher yield at the lowest possible cost but considerably lower quality oil.
WHY COLD-PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL IS SUPERIOR
Extracting oil at high temperatures might be an efficient way of processing olive oil, but it changes the oil’s chemical structure, removing aroma and flavor. The acidity of the oil rises significantly during heat treatment.
When oil is exposed to high temperatures, it oxidizes, which means many of the components known to have health benefits, such as vitamin E, sterols, and carotenoids, degrade.
Oil extracted using heat must also be refined to make it fit for human consumption. Unsurprisingly, unrefined oils are tasteless as they have lost most of their natural quality.
On the other hand, extra virgin olive oil is completely unrefined and has been extracted only by mechanical means without heat. Cold pressing involves extracting oils at room temperature, keeping the acid value relatively low. Cold-pressed oils retain most of their natural properties and, most importantly, their original taste.
Ideally, the oil should be bottled in clean, airtight, dark glass vessels or stainless steel to prevent light from reducing the oil’s lifespan.
The cleanliness of the oil mills is also paramount. If old oxidized olive pulp contaminates fresh olive paste, it reduces quality.
Health-wise, cold-pressed olive oil is undoubtedly the winner, as all beneficial nutrients are retained.
WHAT MAKES A COLD-PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL PREMIUM?
Even when olive oil is cold pressed, the extraction process alone does not make it top-class.
The highest-grade, premium olive oil producers favor quality over quantity and ensure the trees are kept to high standards. Groves are kept naturally in an ecosystem where other vegetation, birds, mammals, and insects thrive. Harsh chemical treatments are also avoided.
In addition, harvesting is a careful ritual, and the cold extraction method is executed within strict parameters where temperatures never exceed 27 degrees Celsius.
The best olive oil is like a fine art. It requires skill, talent, and inspiration. The land is also important. Mountainous landscapes are unsuitable for mass production but are often where the finest olive oils come from.
Only the best olive oil producers can extract the ultimate elixir of exquisite flavor and health benefits. The best olive oils have a wonderful, fruity, fresh smell.
Different olive varieties yield different notes, and flavor also depends on how early the olives are harvested. Some smell of freshly cut grass, while others have the aroma of almonds, green tomatoes, or bitter spice. Green olives produce fruitier olive oils, while black olives tend to produce milder oils.
These aromas come from the health polyphenols, indicating the oil has been produced gently and to a high standard. An absence of these characteristics indicates poor quality.
TASTING OLIVE OIL
There are so many different olive oils, and much-loved ones are akin to our preference for a specific type of wine.
To find your favorite olive oil, take the same approach as wine tasting. Pour a little of the oil into a wine glass. Place a lid on the top and swirl it around the glass. Smell it just as you would if you were taking in the aroma of a wine. Take a small sip and savor the flavor and density of the oil on your palate. Enjoy it and find your favorite!
THE OLIVE OIL OF HACIENDA DEL PASTELERO
This year, 28 trees on the HACIENDA DEL PASTELERO estate have been pruned for harvesting. Once harvested, the olives will be transferred to a nearby cooperative for extraction.
While in times gone by, olive oil was produced on-site, the old olive mill at HACIENDA DEL PASTELERO is a relic of the past and is now preserved as a museum piece for historic interest.
Soon, you can experience the unmatched health benefits and culinary versatility of our extra virgin olive oil, a product of the olive groves of HACIENDA DEL PASTELERO. From improving cholesterol levels to promoting a healthy gut microbiome, our olive oil is a testament to the power of nature.