Olive Harvest Time

[LandyAndy]

Been picking our olives today,booked in for Tuesday to process them into oil.
Picked 60 to 70kg sofar,3 trees to go.
We may go and poach some old farm trees too,just went to look at them,cant see the trees for olives!!!!!
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/621.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170415_164126_zpsnnjna7pi.jpg.html)
Andrew

[Pocket Rocket]

Looks like a lot of work!! Do you have sore arms from all the picking?

[LandyAndy]

Looks like a lot of work!! Do you have sore arms from all the picking?

Not yet!!!!!That lot should return around 20 litres of extra virgin oil,so worth the pain!!!!!
Its not so bad with my trees as they are a pickling olive so not so thick with olives.When they are really thick you put a tarp on the ground and rake the olives off the tree with a plastic rake.
If we get some of the old farm olives we will use the rakes.
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

All done.I rekon we have aprox 120kg to get processed,see how we go.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/591.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170416_133225_zpsxa2hcaxr.jpg.html)

Saved 1 tree for pickling.Its the first time its had olives on it,they are 4 or 5 times bigger than my Kalamatas.Unsure what breed it is,will try and remember to take one with me to get it identified.Old Mell with the abortionised 2a Blood Box gave it to me several years ago,it was half dead.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/592.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170416_134004_zpswvyji6wi.jpg.html)

Andrew

[aussearcher]

Andrew,
I've inherited a couple of olive trees in pots, which have quite a lot of fruit on them. No idea what variety. My question - how do you tell when olives are ready to be picked? Mine are turning from green to black at the moment.
Thanks for any advice!
Alan

[LandyAndy]

Alan.
You can pick them green or black.In your case,you don't have enough to get made into oil.
However if you like olives,they are so easy to pickle.
Have a google putting olives in brine.I wouldn't bother changing the brine too often,weekly is fine to start with.Towards the end indeffinate.When you want to try some,blanch them in fresh water for a week,rinsing every day then put your vinegar/oil/herb mix of your choice.TIME is your friend with all steps,the longer you leave the better.We have olives that have been in brine for 5 years plus,they are loverly when we use them.
ENJOY
Andrew

[cripesamighty]

Just finished pickling a 20L bucketful of olives. Made quite a few jars. It takes time to do properly but well worth it in the end.

[aussearcher]

Andrew,
Thanks. I'll pick this coming weekend and start my processing!
Alan

[LandyAndy]

I delivered my olives at 6.15am,after a 3.30am departure from here.
Got a call at 1pm,they couldn't process my olives as their son who runs the plant was ill.
Have to go back Friday to collect the oil.Its a 520km round trip[bigsad][bigsad][bigsad][bigsad]
Andrew

[cripesamighty]

Andrew, where are you collecting your oil from? If it is anywhere near me I could probably drop it down to you.

[LandyAndy]

Thanks Mate.Got a trip sorted for the day so not a wasted day up there.
There were 95kg of olives.17 litres of oil,18% oil.$40 to process.
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

17 litres of extra virgin olive oil.The presser tells me its excellent quality,and my oli % is very good,many are only returning 12%.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/382.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170421_161742_zps62au3wsn.jpg.html)
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

Picked my pickling olives today.
I'm using this recipe to brine them.
Jim Masotto's pickled olives - ABC Perth - Australian Broadcasting Corporation (http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2008/03/26/1371581.htm)

To speed up the process I pitted half,left the others with the pitts in,scored those with a X.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/303.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170423_112003_zpslb9pkgyx.jpg.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/304.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170423_114733_zpszklawjqh.jpg.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/04/305.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/LandyAndy_2006/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-04/20170423_175448_zpsi6hvcrki.jpg.html)

Andrew