It’s that time of the year again. Olive time. Throughout Italy people are picking olives, taking them to the mill, having them pressed and coming home with olive oil.
While the basic outlines of the process remain the same, there are hundreds of variations. The variety of olives, of course, makes a huge difference, as does location. Weather plays an important role every year, as does pruning (or not).
Another big factor in the quality of olive oil also depends on where you have it pressed. Unless you are a big commercial olive oil producer, no one has their own olive press. Everyone goes to a local mill to have their olives turned into oil.
But which mill to go to? We have a mill very to our house in Umbria , which I made a video of last year. We went to this one for years, mostly because it was the nearest, but also because is was basically the only show in town. Most of olive mills around Umbria were more or less like this one.
But about 15 years or so ago the process started to be modernized, with new, stainless steel machines taking the place of weary hydraulic presses and round straw mats.
So for the last few years we have been taking our olives to other, more modern, mills. And this year headed to the next village over, in Morre, to a bright and shiny new mill opened by a group of young men. The machines may not have the charm of the old place, but the oil that comes out in the end is extraordinary. The big difference in this new system is that it is a ‘closed circuit’ and so the olives, once mashed, have very little chance to be exposed to air and oxidize. Also, if you take the time to compare last year’s video and this year’s, you’ll certainly notice a difference in the level of, well, hygiene.
This year we picked very early, in mid October, and managed to get our olives to the mill the same day we picked. This means that while we didn’t get a lot of oil, the oil we did get was fantastic. Unbelievably green. And, as always, at least in my eyes, miraculous.
The Frantoio we went to:
Inches
Frazione Morre
05020 Baschi (Tr) – Italy
+39 329 8169799
They also sell fantastic olive oil if you happen to be in the area and don’t have access to your own olive grove.
It was this time last year that I found myself at a frantic in Cilento. t’s not just the taste of new olive oil that knocks you over, it’s the smell. When you walk into the frantoio, your senses are overwhelmed: the roar of the machinery hard at work macerating and centrifuging fresh olives into liquid gold and the heavy organic greenness of the air assaults you. While just tasting the bright new oil is a delicious experience, a visit to see the process is a chance to delve into tradition.
Yes, I know, the smell is incredible. Unfortunately we were almost the very first ones to press our olives this year, and so the thick olive mist hadn’t really filled the frantoio yet.
Would that all of us could be so fortunate as to find freshly pressed olive oil!
I am well aware how lucky I am!
Elizabeth! That is just wonderful How grand to have your own oil from trees on your own property. The tradition is thousands of years old, and I Imagine it is an honor and a thrill to continue. My husband’s family grew their own olives and pressed the oil. He speaks of it all quite fondly, but does recall just how very much work was involved. Thanks for sharing this.
The equipment is beautiful, and surely the quality of the oil, given that everything is virtually pristine must indeed be much finer than in previous years. Cleanliness and no rancid oil from earlier work counts!
Is this the time of year when you typically harvest your olives – or some years do you leave them on the tree longer? I love the music. Love it.
The facility looks very modern and oil looks so fresh and delicious.
How long will your olive oil keep or a better question, how long before you run out? Thank you for the interesting video, I enjoyed watching.
A timely jolt Elizabeth your post – to remind me to go to my local mill here in Malta. I hope not too late though as being further south, most olives have already been picked and pressed. I was reading up about Italian oils only yesterday and how Umbrian is one of the finest. A friend of mine has an olive grove north of Terni. Last year I was invited to the picking and to photo it. Sadly, it coincided with another work commitment, but I am hoping to make it next year. Meanwhile, good old Jamie Oliver (aka his magazine editor in fact) was in Malta and drooled over our local oil. Each region has its own specific ‘terroir’ to flavour the oil. Is there such a thing as an olive oil sommelier? I think it’s my ‘new career’ in the off-ing!
Yes, actually, being an olive oil sommelier is actually a thing now. I’ve had a few friends take classes in olive oil tasting, similar to wine classes. Why don’t you sign up?!