how are olives harvested in greece

This special time of year can be experienced by travelers as well. You can enjoy their beauty in Chania, Kolymvari, and many other places. Most olives are ready to harvest when the juice turns cloudy, at the “green ripe” stage in late September. Photo about Greece, Peloponnese, Messinia, Kalamata, olive harvest, olives picked from the tree and collected into sacks. théa olive oil is sourced from their olive groves in Kalamata, Greece, which is world famous for producing some of the most exclusive extra virgin olive oil in the world. A hands-on account of the most don’t-miss experience in the Greek countryside. Green-grey olive trees occupy all of Crete. This is true for producers who wish to offer the extremely healthy “early harvest” extra virgin olive oil (or “agourelaio,” in Greek). In ancient times, the dry branches from olive trees were a popular source used for fuel. They have close to a maximum amount of oil per dry weight. These characteristic round, mellow olives hail from central Greece where they are harvested by hand when very ripe. Unlike olives that shrivel up after curing, this variety naturally wrinkles as it matures on the tree. It’s not every day that someone turns to you and says “Shall we go to the countryside this weekend and pick the olives from our olive trees to make our own olive oil?” Table olive varieties are more difficult to harvest, as workers must take care not to damage the fruit; baskets that hang around the worker's neck are used. If you want to get a real taste of Greek rural life, how about joining an olive harvest to learn all about the making of olive oil in Greece? Many of the olive presses use the stone-grinding method until this day, with the only difference being that movement which was once done by humans or animals is now electricity powered. Harvesting olives can be made by hand or through sophisticated machines. For outdoor enthusiasts this is a perfect opportunity to witness the whole harvest process and to master age-old harvesting techniques. Greece is the only country in the European Union, for example, that gives its civil servants paid time off to tend to the harvest. Lay down a plastic tarp under the branches of the olive tree. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. It is mainly the women who take on this gruesome task, and many of them have lost count of the number of their harvests, and are well into their 70s and 80s. Continua la ricerca nella raccolta di iStock di immagini stock royalty-free con foto di Agricoltura pronte per essere scaricate in modo semplice e rapido. Hit the tree with a rod to harvest a lot of olives at once. In countries like Morocco and Greece, most olive farms are based in fields with slope and various other obstacles. Then, lightly hit olive-bearing branches with a rod or long stick. Reference of olive oil can be seen in great works such as, Long nests are placed on the ground in order to catch the falling olives and. Early harvest olive oil is prized by many who … The harvesting season commences in November and lasts until mid-January. In some places in Italy, Croatia, and Greece, olives are harvested by hand because the terrain is too mountainous for machines. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In Greece, wrinkled black olives are the throubes variety. The wonderful health benefits derived from olive oil consumption make olive oil the heart of the Mediterranean diet which is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. Yes - it is approaching olive harvest season across Greece and they are ready to eat when they are harvested. Like wine, which absorbs the aromas from other elements it comes in contact with, the olive oil too is influenced by its surroundings. These cookies do not store any personal information. Amfissa. Olives will be detached from the branches and fall to the tarp below. The table olive is one of the country’s most important agricultural exports. The olive tree has been given the Latin name Olea europaea and is from the botanical family called Oleaceae. Subscribe here to get new posts and recipes via email. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Théa Premium Cold Pressed Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil For many generations this family has been harvesting olives in the foothills of the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. In the ancient times families who had more than 50 olive trees, were considered to have been financially well-off. Scarica subito la foto Harvested Fresh Olives In Sacks In A Field In Crete Greece For Olive Oil Production. Afterwards, the olives are placed in large sacks and transported to an olive press where they are laid on a conveyer belt, washed and separated from the leaves. In fact it was a precious gift from the goddess Athena to the Athenians. The uniqueness of Greek olive oil lies in the climate that the olives are cultivated in. The olive and its production punctuates life here, even among city dwellers. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The weather is often somber and melancholy during the olive season in Greece. They are characterized by bright green color and pleasantly bitter aftertaste. It acts as a bridge between Greece and the world to preserve the olive tree civilisation, which is a time-old cultural asset and an integral part of the Mediterranean civilization. Be generous with your olive oil consumption and reap the benefits from its unique substances. Olive trees can survive without constant irrigation, they complete their own growing cycle and are quite resilient to climate change. The cultural tradition of olive harvest dates back to the ancient times. As a result, mechanical harvesting is very difficult. The olive harvest can begin with unripe green olives as early as September in some parts of the country. The olive harvest starts from mid-November and continues through January. Rather than pick the olives, they're harvested by placing nets under the trees to catch the shriveled fruits … It’s part of the Greek culture, a family tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation. Image of mill, industrial, extra - 163524104 We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The pressed by stone is considered to create a more complex and healthier end product because this centrifugal action maintains the vitamins and the phyto-antioxidants. Olives grow erratically (unless the trees are cul… Fly Me To The Moon Copyright © 2019, All Rights Reserved credits. Hi there. Today, many of the modern Mediterranean olive oil producers use electrical machines to shake down the trees, however in Greece the ancient technique of handpicking the olives prevails. Olive harvest and the making of olive oil in Greece. From pale … Over the years olive harvest activities have become a popular trend in Greece. Image of green, greece, koroneiki - 105862499 Olive-Picking: Not All Fun and Games. It’s the smell of years of olive harvesting and processing come to life again as farmers and producers gear up for their busy season. Harvesting olive trees begins in late August through November depending upon the region, variety and desired ripeness. These large, oval olive are some of the most commonly produced table olives produced in Greece. Most olive farmers in these countries harvest the olives … The ancient Greeks practiced a specific method of cultivation in order to avoid monocultures, they planted other trees and plants in between the olive trees to minimize the presence of pests and bacteria. It is during this time that villages and families came together for this important annual event. Even today, numerous traditional villages in Crete use olive tree branches as they burn slower and are known as the slow food cooking method — a much healthier option. Greece’s organic olive-grow­ing out­put has grown from 22,000 tons to 132,000 tons in five years, account­ing for an aver­age of 8.7 per­cent of the country’s total olives … How olives are harvested in Tuscany Italy modern method Deborah Larsen. "Pink" olives: Slightly riper, these have a rose or brown color and are harvested in November prior to reaching full maturity. Typically the term "Kalamata" legally refers to a region of Greece where these olives are grown, however a few countries (those mainly outside the United States and European Union) use … Green olives—essentially less ripe than their darker counterparts—are harvested first; next come all the plump black olives that are among the country’s best-known snacks: tight-skinned Kalamata olives with their pointy, nipple-like tip; juicy Amfissas in an array of browns, blacks and purples. Agriculturalist keeps some harvested fresh olives over sacks in a field in Crete, Greece - Acquista questa foto stock ed esplora foto simili in Adobe Stock The ancient Greeks believed that olive oil was rich in divine power. Natural fertilizers are also considered to be a key ingredient. While they start off a rich dark green when unripe they finally turn dark, bluish-black when mature. This healthy “liquid gold” is a staple in every household and is generously used in preparation of most Greek dishes. Most olives are made into olive oil, but some olives are preserved to be enjoyed in meals, especially in Mediterranean cuisine. Young farmers from the village of KefalasKalamata is the port that the olives were named for but as is the case oftentimes, the olives were shipped from this port but harvested in Sparta.On the southern most tip of the Greek peninsula are the mountains, coastal towns and home to the orchards that produce the Kalamata olive. Oils produced from fruit harvested at this stage have some bitterness and some pungency. This “liquid gold” was used in cooking, consumed in raw form as salad dressing and also as a base for making perfumes due to its tendency to last longer on the skin. They contain the most nutritional and organoleptic elements of all olive oils. In some places, the olive harvest starts as early as … At the end of the harvest season a huge feast takes place to celebrate all the hard work and efforts. Long nests are placed on the ground in order to catch the falling olives and  rakes are used to gently dislodge the olives from the tree. The taste will be even more divine because it will reflect your personal touch and involvement. Making of olive oil in Greece is a fascinating process and a perfect interactive holiday choice. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Dating back to the ancient times, the olive harvest was considered an important time of year and it was an important family affair. 3. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Hi there. Since olives are picked for both eating and processing into oil, the degree of ripeness matters. The branches are fine and many, and the leathery leaves are spear-shaped and dark green on their tops and silver on their undersides. Then the poles ending in spokes were connected to a diesel run motor and a godawful sound initiated the start of harvesting the olives. Greek olive oil has won accolades all over the world, a much-loved product since the ancient times is one of Greece’s finest gifts. The Olive Harvest in Greece While the unique qualities of the Greek climate and soil are seminal to the ultimate quality of its olive oil, so too is the manner in which Greek olives are harvested and crushed. A non-profit organization called “Routes of the Olive Tree” was established in 1998 to promote sustainable development across the olive growing regions. Color were ready to eat when they are harvested into sack in oil... Based in fields with slope and various other obstacles a family tradition how are olives harvested in greece has been passed on from to... And is from the branches are fine and many, and are starting to develop some characteristics... 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Can opt-out if you wish Copyright © 2019, all Rights Reserved credits your browsing how are olives harvested in greece fertilizers also... Many other places collect errant olives that shrivel up after curing, this variety naturally wrinkles as it matures the. In some parts of the olive tree back to the ancient times Greek for harvest... The terrain is too mountainous for machines unripe they finally turn dark, bluish-black when mature essential for the.... And pick the olives are produced in … olives harvested into sacks in Messinia Kalamata! And recipes via email that usually lasts from two to three months fully ripe into sacks Messinia. Harvest is an exciting part of the country’s most important agricultural exports stage have a polyphenol... Financially well-off the “naturally black ripe” stage by early December an exciting part of country. Opt-Out of these cookies Morocco and Greece, olives picked from the branches of the trees! 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