The Olive

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In early March Tom and I traveled to the Valpolicella region with some friends for wine tasting.  We wrapped up the day with an olive oil tasting and tour at Antico Frantoio Bonamini in Illasi.
Eight different types of olives grow in this part of the Veneto region located near Verona. (PC: P. Zaehler)
We were able to see the different pieces of equipment used to process the harvest into olive oil.  The machines were not in operation though because the harvest was still another seven months away.  Our tasting included a couple different olive oils (processed the season before) and two different olive pâtés -- nere (black) and verdi (green).   
Our Tasting
Saturday I had a chance to revisit Bonamini and this time it was harvest time.  For two months of every year Bonamini runs 24 hours a day -- processing the fruit from their own 15,000 trees, as well as olives from many of their neighbors.  However, their neighbors have to provide at least 600 kilos (about 1,300 pounds) of olives in order to get their own oil made.  We were able to see the production process start to finish.  In less than two hours a batch of olives becomes olive oil -- thanks to the mechanized process.

The side parking lot was full of these stacked crates.
Olives ready for processing.
In they go...
The conveyor belt in the background leads the olives to the first station.
After being washed the olives head into the mill -- pits and all.
Mechanical Mill
The blades
The blades at work making paste.
From the mill the paste goes into a centrifugal decanter where the water, oil and pomace (pits/meat/skin) are separated.  The pomace is later used as compost for the farm's trees.   
The Centrifugal
One step closer to being olive oil
A second centrifugal (vertical this time) is used to do a second oil and water separation.  An olive is primarily water.  Only 13 percent of an olive is the highly coveted oil. 
The vertical centrifugal - last stop!
Feast your eyes on some extra virgin olive oil folks!
All olive oil processed here is considered extra virgin.  The designation of EVOO is dependent on the temperature at which the oil is processed.  I think the color is a stark contrast from what we're used to in the states.  

Bonamini stores the bulk of their oil in steel tanks.  Once the oil is bottled it has an expiration date of 18 months.  By storing it in the tanks they are able to stretch the product out over the next ten months.
The storage tanks
This modern machinery took the place of a process that looked a lot more like this:

Animals were used to turn the giant stone wheels that milled the olives.  The milled paste was packed into rope-like baskets and the liquid (oil and water) was then pressed out.  The liquid was placed in pots and over time the oil and water would separate.  The oil would then be skimmed off.  The original mill used by the family sits in what is now their store-room floor.  They also have other equipment on display.

Bonamini modernized in 2000. No more stone mill.
The rope-like baskets
Date on this press is 1881.
A separation pot
Where it all begins
The olive - Oliva in Italian.
Just a couple storage tips from the experts.  Plastic is NOT good for olive oil.  It's best stored in dark glass or metal.  You also want to store it in a cool place, away from sunlight.

If you want to learn more about the process of making olive oil I found a good website.  Click here to check it out.  

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 12, 2018 at 6:50 AM

    That's so neat! It's so fun to see you somewhere that I've been.

    ReplyDelete

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