The Tuscan Green Gold, from the farm to the fork!
Autumn isn’t just about roasting chestnuts and sipping red wine by the fireplace. There’s hardly any time to relax when you’re living in the Tuscan countryside. Therefore, between the golden autumn leaves and the first winter chill, as soon as we’re done with the vine harvest, we have to get our strength back and be ready for a new adventure: the olive harvest.
Like every other year, we start picking olives on our farm around mid-October, just before the first chills of November. Back in the day, they used to wait for the olives to be fully mature before harvesting. But the weather wasn’t always kind to crops in late autumn, so to protect them from the early frosts, people have traditionally developed the custom we all know today: harvesting olives earlier, even before they are fully ripe.
This tradition has become an essential part of our territory’s reputation worldwide, for it has given us a unique product of excellence: “l’olio novo” toscano (the freshly pressed Tuscan extravirgin olive oil). Unique because the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the PDO extravirgin olive oil are mostly related to the climate of the growth area, which directly influences the quality of the phenols, the bitterness, and the sharpness of the taste.
The Harvest
Harvesting olives before they’re fully ripe means they still have a high level of polyphenols. Unfortunately, this means we get less product, but it’s exactly what we need to achieve that perfect balance of intense bitterness and peppery flavor, which is so characteristic of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. However, the final taste of each batch also depends on many other factors, so it’s almost impossible to have two different productions with the same taste, even in the same area.
As we always do on our farm, harvesting olives is a group activity. Farming is a physically demanding job, and any extra help is always appreciated. Traditionally, during the olive harvest, close relatives, friends, or neighbors from nearby farms come together to lend a hand and spend some fun days outdoors, enjoying the stunning views of the Tuscan hills. Everyone participates in the process, and seeing the product go from the olive grove to the table is really exciting for everyone.
The day begins very early in the morning, with rubber boots, comfortable clothes, and tools of the trade, we head to our small olive grove and start picking up the little green-purple gems. What we love most is that our family still keeps the tradition alive from past generations, and a day of hard work on the farm can easily turn into a celebration. We love to bring back the old-fashioned charm of country living, just like our grandparents used to: understanding the importance of this moment, giving thanks for nature’s abundance, and sharing the sweat, laughter, food, and wine until the work is done! My grandfathers used to tell me about their harvest gatherings, describing those moments as the most important in a farmer’s life, for socializing and opening up with others about everyday life, by sharing the labor and the table.
Finally, the new oil
Our day of harvesting olives ends only after the sun sets, always following nature’s rhythm. Depending on how big the olive grove is, it might take anywhere from a day to a whole week to finish. So, we store the harvested pods in plastic boxes or on the cool, well-ventilated floor until we can take them to the mill for pressing, but usually not longer than 48 hours.
There are many mills around here. We take our harvest to a very old mill nearby that uses the traditional “cold pressing” method to get the best extra virgin olive oil. First, we wash the olives in cold water to remove as many leaves as possible. Then, we crush them together with a giant millstone and store them in stainless steel tins.
This is what we actually call “l’olio novo” (the new oil) here in Tuscany! It’s the freshly squeezed, unstrained, and unprocessed extra virgin olive oil that we all love. It’s the main ingredient in all our traditional dishes and is recommended worldwide for its well-known health benefits. We use it in our kitchens every day: drizzled fresh over a salad, cooked in most dishes, sometimes as a healthy substitute for butter in cakes, and even in the pan for a healthier fry. However, when it comes to the fruity; peppery; pungent freshly squeezed olive oil, the first thing that comes to mind is “la fettunta” (the greasy slice). This is Tuscany’s traditional, healthiest, and simplest dish ever, and the best way to enjoy the amazing flavor of “the new oil.”
As soon as we bring the “green gold” back home, we just can’t help but drizzle it on a piece of Tuscan toasted white bread (unsalted). Just like that, nothing else added, no other confusing ingredients, just our own special extra virgin olive oil… and this is when we realize that all the sweat and hard work was all worth it!
