cinghiale Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 I’ve been organizing my media library this weekend and happened upon this video I shot in November 2012 at my local oleificio, right in the middle of the olive harvest. I’ve gotten my oil from them ever since I moved here. Those of you who haven’t seen a mill in operation might find it interesting. I apologize for the quality, especially the audio – I was using one of those all-purpose digital cameras that predated smartphones. https://youtu.be/isKPkqaH2rs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maison rustique Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 18 hours ago, cinghiale said: I’ve been organizing my media library this weekend and happened upon this video I shot in November 2012 at my local oleificio, right in the middle of the olive harvest. I’ve gotten my oil from them ever since I moved here. Those of you who haven’t seen a mill in operation might find it interesting. I apologize for the quality, especially the audio – I was using one of those all-purpose digital cameras that predated smartphones. https://youtu.be/isKPkqaH2rs Fascinating! Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orik Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 The great mystery of olive oil presses is that they can take in Frantoio and, if you don't watch them closely, deliver to you a container of refined soybean oil flavored with a mystery Tunisian blend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinghiale Posted June 3 Author Share Posted June 3 True that. But we're a lot farther from North Africa then, say, Sicily or Spain. Every load of olives is pressed separately. They process from Farmer A, who gets his oil from his olives, before moving on to Farmer B. Also, a part of the pressing is for home use; I don't know the percentage and should ask next time I'm there. Many allocate some of their oil to the oleificio to cover costs. The mill stores their take in enormous steel vats, which is where they tap it when I buy it. I was there a few weeks ago to buy some oil to tide me over until the fall harvest. The owner told me that they now market "bio" oil. It's quite involved to get certified. Plus, she said, the mill has to go out to the farms to verify that they're following the mandated practices. OK, this is Italy, but I have no reason to doubt her. Prices have also become insane. I paid EUR 16+ per kilo, double that of just five years ago. Last year's harvest was battered by the terrible rainy May (almost other fruit, too). This year is looking better, weather-wise, but as with so many things, there's little reason to expect that prices will fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinghiale Posted June 3 Author Share Posted June 3 When in the States, I've been buying oil from Despaña. The interwebs attest to its good quality, and the price is right (also spiralling, tho). Kind of pedestrian in terms of taste, but any thoughts out there? Not adulterated, right? Their sherry vinegar is also awesome IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve R. Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 Have you tried www.oliveoiljones.com ? Maybe Orik would know more about the actual product. I used to play tennis with Steve J. when he was the cheese & olive oil guy for Fairway. By the way, when Ginny & I were in Umbria, Steve arranged a tour for us at a very small frantoia outside of Todi, where they processed their own olives and took in olives from various farmers to make oil for them. As you say, they processed each farmer’s load of olives separately and it was fascinating to taste each. Just as “over my head” as most wine tastings, but an education none the less. And, wasnt it you who got us interested in the mosaics in Ravenna? So much so that we made a stop there on our way down from Venice to Florence on another trip. If so, thanks again. Glad to see you’re still doing well in Italy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneakeater Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 I like and use Olive Oil Jones but everybody I know makes fun of me for it. One fun thing used to be, when they were starting out, that Steve J. himself would make the local deliveries. My old building's doormen used to hate him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve R. Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 Yeah, but beneath that gruff demeanor lies a… well, equally gruff interior 😂. But he’ll give you the shirt off his back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orik Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 There are many respectable growers who ship their throat scorching early harvest oil in barrels or big cans, so I'm not sure why the response to "99% of oil is bad" would be to go and buy white label oil from a well meaning guy. Btw, I recently tried the castillo de canena oil aged in amontillado casks (available here from Olive Oil Lovers) and it's a confusing but rewarding experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourbroughten Posted June 6 Share Posted June 6 21 hours ago, Sneakeater said: I like and use Olive Oil Jones but everybody I know makes fun of me for it. One fun thing used to be, when they were starting out, that Steve J. himself would make the local deliveries. My old building's doormen used to hate him. Many people whom have worked with, for, or around Steve J in any capacity have felt similarly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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