Collection of olives to make olive oil and its cultivation phases

October is coming to an end and with it the harvest of the olives approaches. Although the start of the collection does not have a stipulated date for all corners of Spain, since it depends on factors such as the weather or the varieties of olives planted and their maturation process, from 9 Oliveres we have started this work last Monday, 25 October, to obtain our Extra Virgin olive oils.

Although the 9 Oliveres e-commerce store started in 2016, we have extensive experience in olive harvesting thanks to the tradition of the pillars of this olive-growing corporate: the Agullo-Carbonell families (if you want to know more about our history, you can read it here). .

That is why, thanks to our background, today from 9 Oliveres, we show you step by step how to harvest the olives, but before that, we will briefly explain the cultivation phases of the olives:

After knowing the different phases, we will now detail how the olive harvest is carried out:

NECESSARY MATERIALS:

According to our needs we will use one type of collection or another.

First of all, we will need shawls to place them on the ground of our olive trees. In this way, we will ensure that the olives do not get dirty and also prevent them from suffering any imperfections in the collection process.

Secondly, it will be necessary to have the necessary tools for the collection. The selection of the type of instrument will depend at all times on the type of collection that we are going to carry out:

- Traditional collection:As the name indicates, it is the collection that was done in the past. It is the most recommended if we do not have a large number of olive trees. It consists of collecting the olives manually with the help of a hand rake.

- Semi-automatic: This is the process we use at 9oliveres. To obtain the olives we use machines called vareadores and "palmitos". Both tools must be carried by a person on the shoulders and get hooked on small/medium-sized branches. Without a doubt, it is the most widely used system in the Alicante area.

- Automated process:This procedure is carried out using tractors that incorporate a large think that is placed on the mother trunk of the olive tree. Subsequently, it vibrates and makes practically all the olives fall in a few minutes. We could talk about average daily productions of 7,000kg/8,000kg.

Finally, another of the essential tools for this process is a box to transport the olive trees. Although a priori it seems that it is not one of the most necessary instruments, in reality, the truth is that guaranteeing good storage of the olives can be decisive for its final result: it is very important to select a container that facilitates air ventilation and that does not exceed the time of permanence in the containers. At 9 Oliveres we use plastic boxes that are transported to the mill every 2 or 3 hours.

STEPS FOR COLLECTION:

The duration of the harvesting process is mainly determined by the number of olive trees and the amount of olive present in each of them. However, we could say that this process takes approximately 10 days. Next, we will know step by step how to carry out this collection:

1. Extend the shawls to the ground: Two shawls are placed per olive tree, one on each side and that are larger than the treetop.

2. Cover the trunk of the tree with a blanket:As for the trunk, esparto sacks are usually placed to prevent the olives from slipping into the gap between the trunk and the blankets.

3. Shake the trees to obtain the olive: We will use one of the tools mentioned above to obtain the olive. After harvesting, it is interesting to carry out a foliar treatment to heal any possible wounds that have been generated during harvesting and to strengthen it.

4. Collection of the olives:After their fall, they are collected from the shawl and placed in the boxes.