“Here, there are beautiful fields of olive trees with silver-gray leaves, similar to nodding willows. I shall never tire of the blue sky.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Sorrento is a beautiful town in southern Italy that enchants with its fragrance of olives, citrus, flowers, sea, and delicious food.
In Sorrento and its peninsula, the cultivation of olives dates back to ancient times. Olive trees have been cultivated here since Greek times (Magna Grecia).
In that proof, there are numerous temples dedicated to the goddess Minerva. In the temples, the pilgrims used old oil containers to offer oil as a vow to the goddess. The temple erected by the Phocians on Punta Campanella is the most famous on the Sorrento Peninsula. Here is where pilgrims bought olive oil to light it on the altar of the goddess Minerva. Punta Campanella is the most betrayed promontory in the Gulf of Naples).
Sorrento has a favorable Mediterranean climate; the layers of volcanic rock, the mineral-rich soil, and the terraced hills that rise above the town are suitable for cultivating olive trees. On these terraced hills, a particular variety of olive is born, from which the “liquid gold” is an extra virgin olive oil of Penisola Sorrentina D.O.P (Penisola Sorrentina DOP). This olive oil, typical of the area, is obtained by pressing 65% Minuccola or Ogliarola kind olives mixed with 35% Rotondella, Frantoio, and Leccio kind olives.
The olives
The abbreviation DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta. It is an acronym for products produced exclusively in a particular area. For example, Sorrento lemons come under this sign, too, with a European-level certificate.
How are the olives harvested?
The maturation period of the olives
The best period to harvest the olives is between October and December. It’s a crucial stage in producing the oil, depending on the olive oil’s taste and quality. However, the olive harvesting techniques also impact the final quality of the oil. There are various harvesting methods, but the ones listed below are those used to make the oil of the Sorrentine Peninsula:
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Brucatura or hand picking is the most commonly used method. The olives are harvested by striking the tree branches with long sticks. Like this, the olives detach from the stem and fall onto the nets previously stretched around the trees.
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Pettinatura or combing – in this method, the olive branches are combed with an instrument resembling a large, long fork. This device can also be mechanical. The olives detach from the stem and fall onto the nets stretched under the trees.
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Bacchiatura is when the olive tree is very tall. Then the branches are struck with sticks, so the olives fall onto nets from where they are collected.
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Raccattura is when the olives are allowed to fall naturally from the tree, i.e., fully ripe. After that, the people should collect them from the ground. However, this method is unsuitable for producing quality olive oil. Furthermore, when over-ripe olives fall to the ground, they risk rotting more quickly or becoming contaminated with bacteria or mold. The fruit itself is over-ripe and does not contain enough oil.
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
The nets under the olive trees
From the tree to the mill
Once all the olives are collected, they have to be placed in plastic crates with holes so that there is enough air to keep them fresh.
Then, the olives go to the mill (Frantoio) within 48 hours, which will become the oil. The processing process begins with cleaning the olives of leaves and other vegetable debris, usually done mechanically in the mill or beforehand by hand. After cleaning, the olives undergo various stages of processing; pressing, crushing, and pressing. Pressing can be cold to obtain better quality olive oil or hot.
