Italy: olive picking

The six weeks between the beginning of November and mid December are olive picking time in Umbria.

Here the olives are high quality. To be extra virgin oil you must be less than 2% acidity. The average for Umbria is 0.2% and the average for our mill is 0%. The oil is not green and peppery but soft and fruity.

The olives are combed from the trees rather than beaten out of them.