Sunday, 15 November 2009

Oil Like Ribena

The second milling is now in the cantine in the house in the village.

22.7 kilos a quintal. These are the olives from the great sweep of olive groves beneath the ecohouse: perfect exposure to sun, protection from prevailing colder winds, watered by the acquifers above them. Even so, that is a yield and a half.

One more milling to go, from the high fields, and from the great field reaching almost to the water meadows along the local river. The great field has the oldest trees, loaded this year with teeny tiny olives. These are the trees that the Foreman had wanted to dispose of, to completely replace. This time we will get 'ancient' oil. It was me who defended these beautiful old trees so I hope they don't blot my copybook.

In any case, next year all the olives must be milled together to produce the oil from various types of tree that marks a particular producer's oil. Next year will see the return of the real thing, if it doesn't see the return of the fly.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ancient oil - how exotic!. Congratulations on the bumper crop, wish you were exporting,very jealous here,love to the olive pickers. x AA