Archive for the ‘Article of the Week’ Category
Posted on April 4, 2011 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
A journey through the birthplace of the olive
A few weeks ago, I was traveling throughout Greece and Turkey with a friend and we stumbled upon several amazing olive orchards. Seeing these olive orchards made me wonder how ancient Greeks cultivated their olive crops and how orchards looked back then. Not only did we see olive orchards on amazing plots of land, but we saw olive oil saturating every village and island we traveled to. With every meal, we were served olive oil on the side and in every grocery store we walked into, there was an entire aisle dedicated to olive oil. As I walked down each aisle, I was in awe as I saw all of the different extra virgin olive oils offered ranging in size from one, which we may refer to as a “normal” size, up to aluminum containers holding several gallons of oil. These beautifully packaged bottles and containers can not only be seen in grocery stores, but they are recycled throughout the villages and cities as flower planters, decorations or even used to stop boats/cars from rolling/sliding. Seeing the integration of olive oil into every day society gave me a preview of what our society will hopefully be one day. People all around take pride in their olive oil. At one restaurant, I asked a man which type of olive oil he was serving (and I asked which varieties of olives were used in the blend) and he responded with a 20 minute lecture about the olive oil and how Greeks makes the “absolute best” olive oil in the world. While I agreed with the fact that Greece’s history of olive oil supersedes California’s, I secretly reminded myself that the olive oils I have tasted out of the Napa Valley have been far superior in taste and color. With every generation, olive oil growing and pressing techniques improve and although Greece and Turkey may have a few years on us “Napa Valley growers,” I believe we have caught up to their techniques (if not surpassed them).
Posted on December 8, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
2010 Olive Harvest
Hello everyone! We’re midway through harvesting season and check out what some of our growers are saying about it:
Rela Gleason of Gleason Olive Oil:
This year our harvest was prolific. In fact we had such a huge crop that we are going to leave some trees unpicked. This is a wonderful “gift” after last year when there was not enough fruit to make it worth harvesting. We are excited about this vintage, which due to our unusual temperature patterns over the past year, promises to be as wonderful as the wines of 2010
Ernie Weir of Hagafen East Side Olive Oil:
The biggest and best olive harvest in many years
Ted Hall from Long Meadow Ranch:
We will be beginning our olive harvest tomorrow (December 7th) which we expect will be our largest ever. The olives were late ripening because of the long cool growing season, but we are expecting very high quality. We have seen very little activity by the Olive Fruit Fly and the olives look to have a high quantity of oil. We have had a little damage from frost on the valley floor where we have a few orchards, but our primary orchards on the hillsides above Rutherford (where they were first planted in the 1870s) look fabulous. We notice that many of our neighbors seem to have begun harvest at the “normal” time – perhaps because of the requirements imposed by the availability of labor and previously reserved processing windows. We have the luxury of timing our picking with the needs of the variable seasons because we operate our own estate frantoio (since 1996). We are looking forward to the next four weeks with high expectations for a great vintage.”
Kris Jaeger of Jaeger Family Olive Oil:
We harvested our olives this year on the 29th of November. Our trees were very fruit-heavy and the fruit looked beautiful. Wehad high expectations for a bountiful and super-quality harvest. Our Italian and Spanish cultivar fruit was picture perfect. We harvest the fruit and had it milling within hours. The resulting oil is excellent – we are delighted. One hundred percent of the olives that we harvested from our French cultivar, Boutillan, were damaged by frost. We did not press the fruit but had to bury it. This is the first time that our harvest has had damage due to frost. We are grateful for the bounty and the excellent quality of the fruit that was hearty enough to survive the frost. We look forward to a great year ahead.
Tell us about your progress! Email nvolivegrowers@gmail.com
Posted on November 1, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Olive Oil and Skincare
As people begin to notice the harsh chemicals that the cosmetic and bath industry use in their products, they will hopefully shift to olive oil skin care after seeing the benefits that oil provides. For 1,000s of years, people have been using olive oil as a natural way to keep themselves healthy. Many people understand and acknowledge the benefits of olive oil for the body, due to the high levels of vitamin E, but many do not realize the extensive benefits that it can provide for skin. When I was a little girl, I began to realize the benefits as I watched my mom use olive oil as a substitute for lip balm. The olive oil not only moisturized her lips, but also tasted better than the chap stick I wore. As I grew older and transitioned to using olive oil more in my daily skincare routine, I began to notice that it was more than just a skin moisturizer.
Olive oil can be used for a variety of different skin care regimens:
-Bath Oil: With just a few tablespoons of oil, you can create a great alternative for bath oil. The olive oil helps “the skin regain its natural oil balance.”
-Exfoliant: Before moisturizing, olive oil can be combined with sugar to make a great exfoliant for your body.
-Face mask: Beat together olive oil, egg yolk, and honey for a moisturizing 15 minute face mask.
-Night cream: When olive oil is combined with water and vinegar in equal proportions, “olive oil will soften and moisturize the skin as you sleep. The vinegar acts to lighten skin discolorations and helps to exfoliate the skin”
-Wrinkle cream: The antioxidants that olive oil contains help protect skin from the damaging radicals that cause fine lines and wrinkles.
-Wound treatment: Olive oil can help treat minor skin wounds, eczema, and psoriasis
-Lip balm: Dab on lips
-Hair moisturizer: Apply olive oil to scalp and hair for 20-30 minutes.
-Nail soak: Combine olive oil and lemon juice to strengthen nails and soften cuticles in only 5-10 minutes.
Source: http://www.healthy-skincare.com/olive-oil-skin-care.html
Picture credit: http://www.amazingoliveoil.com/olive-oil-for-dry-skin.html
Posted on October 17, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Health Benefits of Olive Oil
For thousands of years, it has been believed that olive oil has a wide array of health benefits. While the benefits of olive oil have been most clearly notable with heart disease, various other remedies from olive oil have been used for patients to help cancer, diabetes, pain, blood pressure, bone health, arthritis, gallstones, colds, coughs, sore throats, painful joints, skincare, and the immune system.
When choosing fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol levels in your blood. In contrast, saturated and trans fats — such as butter, animal fats, tropical oils and partially hydrogenated oils — increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consuming about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day may reduce your risk of heart disease. You can get the most benefit by substituting olive oil for saturated fats rather than just adding more olive oil to your diet.
All types of olive oil contain monounsaturated fat, but “extra-virgin” or “virgin” olive oils are the least processed forms, so they’re the most heart healthy. Those types contain the highest levels of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that also can promote heart health.
Olive oil is also very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil’s protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.
Spanish researchers suggest that including olive oil in your diet may also offer benefits in terms of colon cancer prevention. Their study results showed that rats fed a diet supplemented with olive oil had a lower risk of colon cancer than those fed safflower oil-supplemented diets. In fact, the rats that received olive oil had colon cancer rates almost as low as those fed fish oil, which several studies have already linked to a reduction in colon cancer risk.
When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first “pressing” of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no “off” flavors is awarded “extra virgin” status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as “extra virgin”.
Credits:
Katherine Zeratsky, Mayo Health Clinic
Credit: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/olive-oil.htm
Posted on October 4, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
The Vocabulary of an Olive Oil Label
A lot of claims are made on olive oil labels. What do these various terms mean and how important are they?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: As long as the product has not been adulterated with seed or nut oils it is customarily labeled as “extra virgin olive oil” in this country. The other side of this handout describes what makes an olive oil extra virgin, but the US government does not currently test for the presence of refined olive oil, olive pomace oil, or sensory quality according to International Olive Council (IOC) standards. A petition has been filed at the federal level, however, to enforce the IOC standards for “extra virgin” in the US.
Pure Olive Oil: This is refined olive oil (which is odorless and tasteless) that has been flavored with a little extra virgin olive oil. As long as it is not rancid, and the flavoring oil was good, this is a fine product for cooking and any use that does not require a lot of fruity olive oil flavor. It is much less expensive than real extra virgin.
Light Olive Oil: This is essentially the same thing as “pure” olive oil. It is made from refined olive oil that is “light in flavor.” The amount of fat and number of calories are the same as any other olive oil.
Maximum Acidity (or Free Acidity): The free fatty acid level is an indication of the quality of the fruit going into the olive oil. It is a very crude measure of quality, so unfortunately a low free fatty acid level does not automatically translate into good-tasting oil. IOC standards require less than 0.8% free acidity for “extra virgin” classification.
First Cold Press: This is a relic of the days when olive paste was actually pressed between mats to extract the oil (nowadays almost all extraction is done with a centrifuge). The second (hot) press was done to squeeze out more oil from the fermented waste pomace producing a very low quality oil which was then refined or burned in lamps. In Europe, only an oil truly pressed on mats can make this claim.
Harvest Date: Look for recently made oil. Some producers indicate the date when the olives were harvested, others put a “use by” date, which is usually two years after the oil was made. The important thing is to use the oil right away, within a year in most cases; olive oil does not get better with age.
Bottled (or Produced) in Italy: Because of the way the laws are written and enforced, this is not always a reliable indicator that an oil was really made in Italy from Italian olives. Some producers put an indication of the source of the oil (usually Spain, Greece or Tunisia) on the back label. “California Olive Oil”, however, does have meaning: only an oil made from 100% California olives can make that claim.
Seals and Medals: The European system of Designated Origins symbols indicate that an oil was truly produced in a particular region and is typical of that area. The California Olive Oil Council awards a certification seal to California oils that meet IOC standards after being tested by a sensory panel. A number of fairs have olive oil competitions that are judged by trained tasters; these medals are usually a good indicator of a high-quality oil, as long as the year of the award coincides with that specific oil and it was awarded by a reputable organization.
Credit:
Paul Vossen & Alexandra Devarenne, UC Davis
photo credit:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Foto4/OliveOilShelf
Posted on September 21, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Guidelines for Tasting Olive Oil
When tasting olive oil, it is best to taste the oil mid-morning, when the pallot is fully open. Prior to tasting the oil, it is best to not eat anything or have any foreign flavors in your mouth before tasting (no smoking, toothpaste, gum, candy, lipstick, coffee, etc.) and its best to keep foreign smells away from the body (perfume, scented lotions).
In order to create the best tasting environment, find a quiet, odorless room. After sitting down and relaxing, take about 5-15 minutes to taste each oil, limiting the tasting to around 4 oils. Between each oil tasting, cleanse your palate with sour granny smith apples and water. While tasting each oil, use a recording sheet that identifies the date, oil sample, name and attributes.
When tasting the oils, it is best to use colored glass to remove the bias of color from the tasting. When you have poured a small amount of oil into the colored glass, swirl the glass with a cover on it or use your hand to cover the glass. Warm the oil up to about body temperature before smelling or tasting it. It should not be cold or hot as you put it into your mouth. Warming up the oil allows the oil to release a wide array of flavors contained, giving you the best tasting possible. After swirling the oil, remove the cover or your hand and immediately smell the oil by taking a big whiff. Drink about 3-5 ml of the oil, but before swallowing it, suck in the air and swirl it around your entire mouth for about 10 seconds. Swallow it, close your mouth and breathe out through your nose. Immediately after tasting the oil, write down your impressions since the first ones are usually the best.
Source: Paul Vossen- UC Davis
Posted on August 30, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Positive and Negative Attributes of Olive Oils
When tasting an olive oil, particularly an Extra Virgin Olive Oil, there are many different positive and negative attributes that can be associated with the oil. The International Olive Oil Council did an organoleptic assessment of Olive Oil and came up with several attributes:
Common Negative Attributes:
-Fusty: Characterisitc flavor of oil obtained from olives stored in piles, which have undergone an advanced stage of anaerobic fermentation.
-Musty: Characteristic moldy flavor of oils obtained from fruit in which large numbers of fungi and yeast have developed as a result of its being stored in humid conditions for several days
-Muddy sediment: Characteristic flavor of oil that has been left in contact with the sediment in tanks and vats
-Winery- Vinegary: Characteristic flavor of certain oils reminiscent of wine or vinegar. This flavor is mainly due to aerobic fermentation in the olives leading to the formation of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and ethanol.
-Rancid: Flavor of oils, which have undergone a process of oxidation.
-Heated or Burnt: Characteristic flavor of oils caused by excessive and/or prolonged heating during processing
-Hay/Wood: Characteristic flavor of certain oil produced from olives that have dried out
-Rough: Thick/pasty mouth-feel sensation produced by certain oils
-Greasy: Flavor of oil reminiscent of that of diesel oil, grease, or mineral oil
-Vegetable Water: Flavor acquired by the oil as a result of prolonged contact with vegetable water
-Brine: Flavor of oil extracted from olives that have been preserved in brine
-Esparto: Characteristic flavor of oil obtained from olives pressed in new esparto mats, green or dried
-Earthy: Flavor of oil obtained from olives, which have been collected with earth or mud on them and not washed
-Grubby: Flavor of oil obtained from olives, which have been collected with earth or mud on them and not washed
-Cucumber: Flavor produced when oil is hermetically packed for too long, particularly in tin containers, which is attributed to the formation of 2-6 nonadienal.
-Metallic: Flavor that is reminiscent of metals. It is characteristic of oil, which has been in prolonged contact with metallic surfaces during crushing, mixing, pressing or storage.
Common Positive Attributes:
-Fruity: Set of the olfactory sensations characteristic of the oil, which depends on the variety and comes from sound, fresh olives, either ripe or unripe. It is perceived directly or through the back of the nose.
-Bitter: Characteristic taste of oil obtained from unripe olives. Perceived on the back of the tongue.
-Pungent: “Piquant” or biting tactile sensation characteristic of certain olive varieties or oil produced form unripe olives. Perceived in the throat.
Photo credit: UC Davis
Posted on August 19, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Early vs. Late Harvest
Each year, the olive harvesting season ranges from mid November to late December. The producer chooses their harvest date depending on the olive varieties they are growing, and the flavor and the amount of oil desired.
Early harvest olive oils tend to be fairly green in color, causing bitterness in the oil. The bitterness in the oil is a desirable flavor, giving the oil sought-after grassy, pungent accents. These oils tend to be more expensive than late harvest oils because more olives are needed to make the same amount of oil. Early fall harvest oils also tend to have higher levels of polyphenols and antioxidents, which help increase the shelf life of the oil.
Late harvest olives aren’t picked until the winter when the olives are ripe and deep in color. While these olives produce a larger volume of oil, it is risky to wait until winter to pick olives. With early onset winter weather, the olives can be damaged by the harsh winter frost. Opposed to the grassy flavors of early harvest olive oils, late harvest oils have a mellow, smooth taste.
Photo credit: http://www.karaoliveoil.com.au/facts.html
Posted on August 3, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
French Olives
In 1956, a devastating freeze swept the Provence region, killing many of the olive trees planted throughout the area. With the high cost of producing olive oil, many farmers decided to plant a more profitable plant, grape vines to be used for making wine. France, to this day, is not a major producer of olive oil. It doesn’t even rank in the top 7 olive-producing countries in the world which account for 90% of the world’s olive oil. While France may not be a large oil producer, Provence is still a premier olive-growing region. In the past couple decades, 100,000 olive trees have been planted in Provence and the production of olive oil in the south of France has doubled.
“France produces approximately 2,500 tons of olive oil per year in nine regions of the country. Aix-en-Provence has the Aglandau variety of olive cultivar that produces a unique olive oil with a slight bitterness and an aroma of almonds and hazelnuts that complements the regional French Mediterranean cuisine. Ardeche has the Rougette variety that produces a very distinctive olive oil with a woodland aroma and slightly herbal flavor with suggestions of fruit. Aude and Gard produce a very well balanced, fruity olive oil characterized by a smooth texture primarily from the Lucques and Picholene varieties of olive cultivar. Corsica has primarily the Picholine and Sabina varieties of olive cultivar that produce a green colored olive oil with an herbal bouquet slightly suggestive of green vegetables and a peppery, fiery bite to its flavour. The Corsicans are known to vary their harvest times according to the desired flavor that they wish to produce by harvesting in the winter for a more bitter flavor from less than ripe olives and harvesting in the spring for a sweeter flavor oil from ripe olives. Corsicans create an olive oil that complements their cuisine influenced by North Africa and Southern Europe in their featured specialties such as couscous, tajines, carpaccio, gazpacho and spicy seafood dishes.
Haute Provence uses principally the Aglandau as well as the Bouteillan and Picholine olive cultivar varieties to create a smooth, densely textured olive oil with a fruity flavor to complement their regional cuisine that includes lamb, seafood, pumpkin, courgette’s, peppers, cheeses, and white meats. The traditional cuisine of Les Baux includes white meats, lobster, bass, vegetables, cheeses and pasta dishes that incorporate the locally produced olive oil made from the Aglandau, Grossane, Picholine, and Saloneque olive cultivars to produce an oil with a fragrance of white flowers and fruit blossoms and there is a slight suggestion of bitter almonds associated with this oil. The region of Massif de l’Esterel and Nice grows the Cailletier olive cultivar that produces a very refined, light, yellow colored olive oil with a delicate and slightly sweet flavor and a bouquet reminiscent of almonds, acacia and hawthorn. The region of Massif des Maures and Haut Var have a number of olive cultivars, some dating back to very old times indeed, but the principal ones include Aglandau, Bouteillan, Grossane, Picholene and Ribiers which are grown in order to produce a sweet and slightly spicy olive oil with an aroma of white fleshed fruits and a smooth texture that complements the seafood, lamb, bouillabaisse, salads and dishes incorporating pine nuts. The Tanche variety of olive cultivar is grown in Nyons that produces a sweet and at the same time slightly milky flavored olive oil with a nutty aroma suggestive of hazelnuts and almonds that complements the regional cuisine consisting of seafood, salads and fruit tarts.”
For many years, French olive trees have thrived in Napa Valley. While they may not be as prominent as Italian and Spanish olive varietals, they are still used in many of our exquisite oils made around the Valley. Check out our local producers on our website to see who puts French olives into their oil blend!
Source: http://www.frenchentree.com/france-provence-food-drink/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=17271
Photo credit: http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/advertising-art/poster-advertising-olive.html
Posted on July 26, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers
Italian Olives
Olive trees have been considered sacred in Italy for many years. “Olive oil, or ‘Liquid Gold’, as Homer (the great poet) so rightly named it, has been used throughout history in cooking, skin care and as a medicine. It has been considered a divine ‘gift’ from the Gods and nature by many cultures throughout history… The olive’s strong Mediterranean symbolism clearly creates a valid nuance in the Italianate garden and its pacifying grey color creates the perfect, shimmering backdrop for many Mediterranean plans” (1).
It is said that some of the oldest olive trees come from Italy. With the history of Italy’s olive-based culture, it would only be natural to assume that the country produces some of the finest olive trees in the world. The quality of the olives has been identified by olive oil enthusiasts world-wide and has led to an increase in Italian olive groves internationally.
In 2004, there were over 350 varieties of olive trees identified in Italy. While many varieties are cultivated, three main olive varietals thrive world-wide: Frantoio, Pendolino, and Leccino. While Tuscany proves to be one of the best regions to grow olives in Italy, there are many other olive-growing regions within Italy: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sardgna, Sicilia, Trentino, Umbria, and Veneto. The trees growing in these regions produce a wide range of flavors depending on the region in which they are grown in. While the flavors vary, Italian olives tend to produce bold oil with a peppery kick.
Try one of our local Napa Valley oils, which contain Italian olive varietals, and it will make you feel like you’re soaring over the hills of Tuscany.
Source (1): Lifeinitaly.com
