OUR OLIVE OIL

 

The newest productive trees of our olive grove were planted in 1953 and the oldest are multi-centenary. Olive trees can resist quite well to the dry and scorching in the region, but need some attention to produce plenty of healthy fruits.

 

The majority of our olive trees are of the galega and bical varieties.

The galega is small and has little pulp but is very tasty for canning and olive oil.

                                     

The bical is large and more suitable for canning.

 

Contrary to what is usual in this area, we not only burn the branches from the pruning of the olive or other trees, but we crush everything to spread over the ground in order to improve the quality of the soil, originally quite clayey and hard.

                      

 

Respecting the principles of permaculture and organic farming, products of synthetic origin such as disinfectants, insecticides or fertilizers do not enter our property. We use manure produced by our animals or those from close neighbors or buy granulated organic fertilizers for easier application.

Instead of plowing the soil deeply and thus exposing it to the scorching sun, we mow the grass to 10 cm height to leave a permanent protective vegetation cover that facilitates the installation of earthworms, insects and fungi that increase and transform the organic mass that enriches the soil.

                                   

To avoid the use of chemicals to protect from insects, we use bottles with codfish pieces in water suspended in the trees. Flies attracted by the smell of decaying cod penetrate through a properly sized hole and die by hundreds.

When colecting olives for making oil, we use electric shakers so that the fruits fall into the nets without being hurt. Then we remove the larger branches and carry the olives in small boxes of up to 15 kilos, so that the transport is comfortable and without fermentation start.

                    

                     

 

The family oil press I chose for the production of our olive oil, after a long search for the surrounding region, is the best I found. When I first visited it, the organization and cleanliness impressed me so much that I thought the owner would surely already have worked at Switzerland, as I did for 41 years. But no, Mr. Manuel Candeias is proud to maintain his equipment and locations that way. Assisted by his family and some employees, he prepares canned olives and produces olive oil for sale, but also agrees to make olive oil for other small owners like me.

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After decanting for a few weeks, the olive oil can be bottled after being filtered or not.

for the moment, I use 2 and 5 liter dark plastic bottles and 0.375 and 0.75 liter dark glass bottles.

              

                       

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