Olive Oil

Our olive grove has some 500 trees on about two hectares. There are a few really old ones – maybe over 300 years, who knows – but most have been planted by grandpa and grandma or by their parents.

We hand harvest our olive trees early in autumn to obtain a a high quality, extra-virgin, organic oil that contains all the taste, smells, flavours and colours of our land. The fruit is cold-pressed to keep all those smells and good properties in the oil.

If you feel that the oil is slightly ‘piccante’, that means it feels a bit hot on your palate, than that is the result of the fruit being harvested before it is fully ripe and when it still has all its aromas. Fresh quality oil should always ‘tickle your gums’ a little bit.

We also harvest the big Olive Ascolane to produce the finest and lightest of extra virgin oils, or we stuff and fry them to make the famous ‘Olive Fritte Ascolane’.

 

A few facts about the chemical characteristics of our oil:

-Acidity: 0.19% (Extra virgin olive oil should have less than 0.8% for 100g)
-Delta K: -0.001 (Values are usually below 0.01)
-K232: 1.94 (Values are supposed to be below 2.40)
-K270: 0.09 (Values are supposed to be below 0.20)

Together with these excellent chemical parameters our oil scored also excellent in the sensory evaluations that were done in both Italy and Austria.

Preserving tips: When olive oil is exposed to oxygen, light, and heat, it is subject to oxidation and may become rancid. Make sure you keep your oil in a closed bottle, in a dark container or closet, away from sources of heat like your stove. You do not have to refrigerate it, although refrigeration will not hurt the oil.

A final note: We do not filter our oil. Filtering is a process that removes particles of olive fruit (by draining the oil through cotton) from oil, and the experts consider unfiltered oil a less refined and healthier choice. Unfiltered oil is also tastier!

Time to eat! ‘Pane e olio’: Cut a slice of bread, pour some oil, spread some salt and enjoy the flavour! This is the most basic way to taste the oil and it is also part of our weekly diet. Our little nephew loves to add grated parmigiano for his healthy and tasty merenda!

A classic recipe with oil: ‘Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino’

If you want to know more about our oil please contact us!