We finally have our own olive oil! We were fortunate to inherit 24 mature trees of the Mission variety on our property in Asti. We then planted 20 young trees last spring that are the Tuscan variety. The olives were hand picked in November.
The olives were taken to Olivino, an olive mill in Hopland where they were traditionally pressed using huge granite stones from Italy. We ended up with about 12 gallons! We were able to tour the facility and even taste our own oil! It has a fruity aroma, and the flavor is robust. This oil is allowed to settle naturally, not filtered or put through a centrifuge. It is wonderful for dipping, cooking and salad dressings. Of course it is organic.
You can also buy young olive trees at Olivino. Here is a beautiful greenhouse full of different varieties. To learn more about how olives are pressed, go to www.olivino.com. They are part of Terra Savia which produces artisanal honey, olive oil and wine. See www.terrasavia.com for information on their products for sale.
This is the former chicken coop in the "olive orchard". It's now a tool shed, but someday, we will have chickens!
If you are interested in our olive oil, it is being bottled now and will be available in a few weeks. The second batch will be available in February which is the Tuscan blend. The oil will only be sold to friends, family and by word of mouth or at the local farmer's market. Price available upon request.
Our trees, both young and old.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
ABOUT OUR OLIVE OIL:
I am just loving it. Used it to bake some fingerling potatoes in and the flavor was fantastic. I hope you guys are proud!--Nancie
Delores, the olive oil arrived and it couldn't have come at a better time. Last night, I made spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner. The night before, I grilled some chicken breasts. At work today, I was thinking I'd cut up some of the leftover chicken and mix it in the pasta. I was trying to figure out what I would sprinkle on top. Now I know! I'll be putting Arabian
Family Olive Oil on top! Thank you so much. Laurie (Bargain Hunting With Laurie)
Family Olive Oil on top! Thank you so much. Laurie (Bargain Hunting With Laurie)
Delores, it is delicious! What a flavor! I also put some on my salad, so I made great use of it tonight. I wish I had thought to put some in a bowl to dip my bread in. Do y'all sell this, and if so, do you ship it in single bottle orders? I'm afraid I'm going to get spoiled by this bottle! Laurie (Bargain Hunting With Laurie)
6 comments:
Oh how fun! Your own olive oil!
And what DOES an olive taste like right off the tree??
Great question Linda! I made that mistake once. It is so bitter, it takes forever to get the taste off your tongue. To eat them, they have to be cured in brine or pressed into oil.--Delores
Wow!! How interesting. I wasn't quite sure how all of the olive oil's came about. This was so interesting. I'm sure the view is incredible to look upon. Thanks for the tip about not biting into an olive..lol hugs ~lynne~
Aren't you a lucky girl - enjoy your harvest.
Sylvia
How interesting and fun! I have never bit into an uncured olive - but have heard they were not edible.
Delores, What an interesting post, and how great to produce your own olive oil! Thank you so much for your notes of sympathy. laurie
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