stewartwillsher
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- Joined
- May 15, 2017
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- Location
- Western Spain and Costa de la Luz
Olive harvest time is approaching and soon the 2018 crop will be attacked.
I wrote a huge WAFFLE last year, so will try to avoid repetition (difficult at my age).
Our chap has already surveyed the potential and after a bit of chin rubbing declared the yield down on last year.
So be it, "no pasa nada" as the locals would say, philosophically - so what! is a close approximate translation.
We still have a dozen garrafas (garrafa = 5 litre bottle) from last year.
This year, like last, our equipment includes a shaker - last year hired to try out, and then one purchased for this year's harvest.
I can hardly lift the bloody thing, it being a two stroke motor attached to an extendible pole over two metres long, which has a sort of hook like end.
That is placed over a branch and the machine's clutch engaged.
The whole crazy thing vibrates, including the operator, and hopefully the branch, which if cooperating, will drop all its fruit onto nets below.
Our friendly builder (built house and other stuff for us over the years) has been and scrounged a couple of buckets full for his old mum who processes them for the table, which she does every year.
You may not know, that most olives straight from the tree are quite bitter, so go to the press for the oil.
To eat, there is quite a lengthy process to make them palatable, including using strong chemicals to break down their sour flavour by curing them; caustic soda (lye), vinegar, salt and water are deployed with much rinsing between stages.
Get half a dozen experts together and you get six methods, each being THE best one.
Similarly there will be many discussions in the bars, with much disagreement, as to the right time to commence the harvest, the weather and crop condition being criteria.
The almazaras (presses) will be open for months, accepting olives as early as November and right through to maybe March.
Some, you pay for their processing and get what oil comes out from your fruit, whilst others award you a percentage based on the quality of your olives less a mark down which they will keep and flog as their own brand.
Our chap sniffs around for what he considers the best deal, at the time.
Again bar talk will weigh up the pros and cons of the presses.
So, as I write, I have no idea as to the quantity, nor the processing.
All will become clearer closer to Christmas, I am sure.
I wrote a huge WAFFLE last year, so will try to avoid repetition (difficult at my age).
Our chap has already surveyed the potential and after a bit of chin rubbing declared the yield down on last year.
So be it, "no pasa nada" as the locals would say, philosophically - so what! is a close approximate translation.
We still have a dozen garrafas (garrafa = 5 litre bottle) from last year.
This year, like last, our equipment includes a shaker - last year hired to try out, and then one purchased for this year's harvest.
I can hardly lift the bloody thing, it being a two stroke motor attached to an extendible pole over two metres long, which has a sort of hook like end.
That is placed over a branch and the machine's clutch engaged.
The whole crazy thing vibrates, including the operator, and hopefully the branch, which if cooperating, will drop all its fruit onto nets below.
Our friendly builder (built house and other stuff for us over the years) has been and scrounged a couple of buckets full for his old mum who processes them for the table, which she does every year.
You may not know, that most olives straight from the tree are quite bitter, so go to the press for the oil.
To eat, there is quite a lengthy process to make them palatable, including using strong chemicals to break down their sour flavour by curing them; caustic soda (lye), vinegar, salt and water are deployed with much rinsing between stages.
Get half a dozen experts together and you get six methods, each being THE best one.
Similarly there will be many discussions in the bars, with much disagreement, as to the right time to commence the harvest, the weather and crop condition being criteria.
The almazaras (presses) will be open for months, accepting olives as early as November and right through to maybe March.
Some, you pay for their processing and get what oil comes out from your fruit, whilst others award you a percentage based on the quality of your olives less a mark down which they will keep and flog as their own brand.
Our chap sniffs around for what he considers the best deal, at the time.
Again bar talk will weigh up the pros and cons of the presses.
So, as I write, I have no idea as to the quantity, nor the processing.
All will become clearer closer to Christmas, I am sure.
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