Antique cart with baskets of olives outside the Grotta Mangiapane, Custonaci, Trapani Province, Sicily
Tag: olive
Getting Into the Details
The olive harvest is in full swing right now. Making olive oil is as complex as making wine, and on Day 7 of our June 2018 multi-generational tour, Ancient Italy: A Cultural Journey Through Campania and Sicily, we’ll get into the details at an organic olive farm in Castelvetrano. This Wednesday evening from 7:30 to…
The Olive Report, Part 2
This is Part 2 of your olive report! On Monday, the team at Agriturismo Villa Cefalà was preparing the nets for the olive harvest. A week after the photo for Part 1 was taken, the fruit looked a bit more plump.
The Olive Report, Part 1
This is the olive report! They are getting close to harvest, but still need some time. I’ll be back at this tree in a week. At that time, I’ll give you an update as to how they are doing! October is harvest for table olives, when they are ready. Meanwhile, we picked up our Enchanting…
Emeralds or Olives
Who needs emeralds when you can have Nocellara del Belice olives? On Day 3 of Savoring Sicily (our Sept. 22 – Oct. 4, small-group tour), we’ll have lunch at this working olive farm, where you’ll be surrounded by the Centonze family jewels. But, not only lunch. We’ll also have the benefit of the owner taking…
Hand Picked
Olives are ready to be harvested in October and November. In early October, farmers pick them for eating. Now, at the end of October and into November, they pick them to make olive oil. These beautiful Nocellara del Belice variety of olives from Castelvetrano are picked by hand in order to best preserve the integrity…
Cast the nets!
The olive harvest is on! What we learned on our tour is that there are two phases of the olive harvest: the first round is for olives that are to be eaten; the second round, which takes place generally in late October/early November (depends on the climate-location of the trees), is for producing oil.
Sicily’s Liquid Gold
Olive trees and olive oil where brought to Sicily by the Greeks and the Phoenicians in the centuries before the Common Era. Today, the island region is one of Italy’s most prolific producers of this liquid gold that has many health benefits and uses–from cooking to soap to moisturizer. Feudotto, imported in the US by…
Olive You
November marks the olive harvest in Sicily, and the 38th annual Sagra dell’Ulivo (Olive Festival) in Pollina is currently underway. This weekend in the town that is not far from Cefalù on the edge of the Madonie Mountains, they are presenting cultural events including folk music, art exhibitions, and of course, olive- and olive-oil inspired…
Where are They Now?
The olives are growing! We still have some months before harvest, but here’s a picture of what they look like this time of year.