The Olive Tree
The olive tree is the most important oil producing plant in the world, both
in history and modern commerce. It is native to the Mediterranean
region and grows well in all Mediterranean climates around the world.
The first olive
tree may have been planted on the Acropolis by Athena during an argument
with Poseidon over the possession of Attica, and everafter
the winners of Olympic
competitions were crowned with olive wreaths in homage to Athena. In ancient
times it was even a capital offense to cut down an olive tree in parts of
Greece!
Olive trees are a subtropical, broad-leaved, perennial trees which produce edible fruit. Its ancestor, Oleastro, dates back millions of years. Archaeological records indicate olives have been eaten for over 35,000 years, and that man has cultivated the tree for at least 6,000 years. The long, rich tradition of the olive tree, which Sophocles described as "the tree that stands unequaled," is woven through the tapestry of human history. Moses decreed that men who cultivated the olive tree leaf be exempt from serving in the army. The olive oil is symbolic of purity and goodness, while the olive branch represents peace and prosperity. The oldest known record of olive oil is on earthenware tablets from 2500 BC, from the island of Crete, in the reign of King Minos. Today, there are some 5 million acres of almost 800 million olive trees throughout the world. Olive trees range in height from 10 to 40 feet or more and can reach a great age — some olive trees in the eastern Mediterranean are estimated to be over 2,000 years old.
The olive tree came from Asia Minor and spread along the coasts of the Mediterranean, in the area between the 30th and 45th parallels. The use of olive oil is said to have originated in Syria where the first olive trees were cultivated. The uses of olive oil extended well beyond the kitchen. The oil was used as a fuel for lamps and also as anodyne for burns and wounds. Olive trees extended into the Mediterranean where the climate was highly conducive to their cultivation. Olive trees quickly spread to Crete, flourishing in the island's dry climate. Cretans became wealthy by exporting the olive oil and making lotions and cosmetics from olive trees. An entire shipping fleet was made for selling olive oil to the Egyptians and the Greeks, carrying large quantities of oil in amphorae (vase-like jars) known as pithoi.
It is said that in Italy there is an olive tree that is 3500 years old. Olive trees can be seen as a symbol of tradition and a witness of eras gone by. It is a bearer of long forgotten times and legacies. This is one of the reasons why the olive tree is regarded as a symbol of patience: looking at an olive tree gives a feeling of serenity, peace and tranquility. Furthermore, the olive tree is the symbol of immortality: it gives power to kings and priests, and its boughs crown heroes and Olympic champions.
The cultivation of olive trees has
produced over 900 varieties of olives from which to press oil. Olive trees
are propogated from cuttings. When the cutting has taken root under special
care in the greenhouse, it is ready to be planted in the ground. Depending
on the type of olives desired, anywhere from fifty to three hundred olive
trees could be planted per acre. The first fruit will appear after four
years, and the olive trees reach peak production between twelve and fifteen
years. Young unripened olives are green with a smooth, tight skin. Mature
olives are black with a wrinkled skin. Sizes range anywhere from the small
Nicoise olive to the giant Kalamata.
The wood of the olive tree resists decay, and when the top of the olive tree
is killed by bad weather or human mistakes, a new trunk will grow back from
the roots. Despite harsh winters and burning summers, olive trees continue
to grow and produce fruit. The olive tree branches are able to carry a large
amount of fruit on their numerous twigs, which are so flexible that they
sway with the slightest breeze but remain very strong.
Olive tree leaves are thick and leathery. Each leaf grows over a 2-year period and flowers bloom in late spring. They are small and white, grouped in loose clusters in the axels of the leaves. There are two different kinds of flowers: perfect flowers, containing both male and female parts, which are capable of developing into the olive fruits; and staminate flowers, male only, which contain the pollen-producing parts.
The thin spiky leaves are a dark green on top with a silver scaly underside and they live for about three years before being replaced by new leaves. The olive tree bears fruit from five years but does not mature until 20 and can live for over 100 years. Even when the tree dies, shoots sprout up from the base, replacing the old trunk, eventually becoming new trees themselves.
Harvesting
Production of olive oil
begins with the harvest, the timing of which is a major factor in the final
product. Green olives picked before maturity produce a rich and fruity oil.
The more mature the olive, the milder the olive oil flavor, although the
amount of actual olive oil produced upon pressing is much higher than with
green olives. The type of olive also adds to the oil's flavor, but most
olive oils tend to be blends of several varieties. The picking of the olives
starts as early as May in the southern hemisphere, when the olives are
under-ripe and still green. They yield little oil, but their flavor is
intense. These olive oils have the longest shelf life and are richer in
sensory properties such as flavor and aroma.
Harvests
generally occur between May and August. Some olives are harvested in the
red-ripe stage and blended with the earlier harvested oil to create a more
balanced product. In general, the oils from fruit harvested in the
black-ripe stage are of inferior quality, containing more acid and less
flavor.
The youngest green olives are hand-picked off the branches, whereas riper
olives can be beaten or shaken down and collected beneath the olive trees.
Since olives are delicate, the best olive oils are made from olives that are
picked by hand or by machines that do not beat or bruise the fruit.
Milling and Pressing
The first
recorded oil extraction mill existed in Palestine in 1000 B.C. Over 100
olive presses have been found in Tel Mique Akron, where the Philistinese
first produced oil. These 100 presses managed to produce between 1,000 and
3,000 tons of olive oil per year.
Olives should be crushed within the first 24 or 36 hours of picking off
the tree. If left to wait, the level of acidity rises, creating olive oil of
poor quality. Just before being crushed, the olives need to be run through a
washer to eliminate any remaining impurities. Generally the olives are
crushed whole, without prior stoning in roller mills.
The simplest method of crushing olives is with a varying number of granite
millstones. The olive paste obtained through milling is layered on nylon, or
natural fiber, mats, called "fiscoli," which are stacked high, with metal
disks between them. These mats of olive pulp are then subject to a great
deal of pressure from a screw or hydraulic press. The liquid produced by the
pressing drains through the mats and cylinder and is collected for the final
separation.
In more
traditional refineries, the paste is spread over mats that when pressed
together allowing the liquid to escape from the solids. This method requires
exceptional cleanliness in the mats. Olive oil not properly removed from the
mats will turn rancid, souring an entire oil batch. More modern presses have
come to rely on the centrifuge to separate the olive solids from the oil.
The oil is given time to rest before it is bottled for the consumer. This is
what is done at Toscana Olive Plantation.
Further Olive Oil Information
Italy is perhaps best known for olive oils and it counts among the major producers. Greece is famous for their Kalamata olives, and its inhabitants are among the largest consumers of olive oil in the world. Spain, France, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria also have large olive oil industries.
Labels such as virgin, extra virgin and pure are used to categorize olive oils according to their acidity. Virgin olive oil is the first pressing of the olives with an acidity level no higher than three percent. To receive the virgin label, however, the oil must not be further processed by heat or chemicals. Extra virgin olive oil is the first pressing of the olives with an acidity level no higher than 0.8%, and no heat or chemical processing. Pure olive oil is extracted with heat and chemicals from the pulps, or solids, left behind after the first pressing. Extra virgin olive oils are said to have better flavor then pure olive oil, which is also less expensive.
Olive oils are typically used as a basis for oil infusions. The natural flavors of herbs, citrus and spice are extracted and infused into the oil. The new flavored oil adds accents to marinades, dressings, and sauces. The best infused oils are those where the olives and additional extracts (lemons, herbs, etc.) are crushed together. Also, if extra virgin olive oils are used, the flavor is far superior than those made from low-grade oils. This is how the Lemon Pressed Olive Oil is made at Toscana Olives - we crush the olives and lemons together. Our competitors in the industry have tried to emulate our product by simply buying lemon essence from America and adding it to the olive oil.
Choosing an olive oil is much like choosing a fine wine. The olive oil's bouquet should smell like fruity olives. Its taste can range from light to heavy depending on the variety. There should never be a metallic flavor (indication of rancidity) or a heavy after taste (inferior quality). Choose oils on personal taste preference and the oils' expected uses. Grilled chicken might require heartier oil than delicate seafood. Never judge oil by its color. Producers can easily influence oil's color during pressing and it is no indication of quality.
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