We had the greatest day olive picking, yesterday. We went up to our friends upper land and picked olives off their trees. They sell olive oil and olive products for their living. They made us lunch on the property which included sausage cooked on a very old clay roofing tile on a fire grandpa made.
First you lay tarps under the trees, then just pull the olives off the tree. Emilio and his dad, Salvatore, were up on ladders getting the upper parts of the trees while we were below taking off the lower olives. After they are on the tarp, you pick them up with as few stems and leaves as you can. Of course this is done as fast as you can on slopey hillsides. The weather was a bit over cast, but thank God it was cool and not too hot.
After picking from 5 or 6 trees around 50 kilos of olives, we went to the presses to see how cold-press extra virgin olive oil is made and even got to taste some right out of the presses.
We had an evening pasta at their house and then they gave us some fresh olive oil that was just pressed a couple days ago. This has a very strong olive taste and some yummy sediment, this oil is best for dipping your bread, not cooking.
First you lay tarps under the trees, then just pull the olives off the tree. Emilio and his dad, Salvatore, were up on ladders getting the upper parts of the trees while we were below taking off the lower olives. After they are on the tarp, you pick them up with as few stems and leaves as you can. Of course this is done as fast as you can on slopey hillsides. The weather was a bit over cast, but thank God it was cool and not too hot.
After picking from 5 or 6 trees around 50 kilos of olives, we went to the presses to see how cold-press extra virgin olive oil is made and even got to taste some right out of the presses.
We had an evening pasta at their house and then they gave us some fresh olive oil that was just pressed a couple days ago. This has a very strong olive taste and some yummy sediment, this oil is best for dipping your bread, not cooking.
