How and when to do the harvest of the olives?
Timing is an important aspect that determines the goodness of both the olives and the oil we are going to produce.
As we read in our previous article, we decide the best time for harvesting based on our goals for that vintage.
If we want an oil with strong bitter and spicy hints, we will go to harvest the olives at the beginning of the season, so early October, when the olive is not yet fully ripe: this will create positive characteristics, such as a large concentration of antioxidants and polyphenols, but it will have negative repercussions in terms of oil yield, since an olive that is not fully ripe has a lower yield than a mature olive. If, on the other hand, what we are looking for is a more delicate and sweet oil on the palate, we will certainly harvest more ripe olives.
In past years it has been widely demonstrated that the later the harvest, the more difficult it will be for the olive grower to obtain a high quality oil. It should also be considered that in inland areas with lower temperatures, delaying harvesting exponentially increases the risk of frost, which would lead to the creation of major defects in the oil.
Harvest time at the Alberti house
Autumn is certainly the ideal season for the olive harvest: but what is the really right time for us?
The moment of harvesting the olives in the Alberti house is very important and extends between November and December when the olives have not reached full ripeness.
We observe the olives from week to week, fast and expert hands spread the nets, untangle themselves among the trees, discard the leaves among the precious fruits in the boxes.
On fine days the sun peeps through the trees and creates shining plays of light: the olives look for those warm rays.
The sea is there at the bottom, calm and blue, as if the horizon line with the sky cannot be distinguished.
We don’t talk, we work. We are Ligurians, God forbid.
It is challenging but tradition guides us and inspires us the passion for this land.
