Olive Oil Harvest time in Provence

It is Olive Oil time in Provence....

Olive picking time in Provence take place between end of October an end of November, prior to the possible frost of December.

The Olive are traditionnally hand picked but, for labour cost reason, some of the mills are now using the "tree shaker" which will process a tree within a minute or 2....

So, here is the life of an olive in Photo...

The flowering of the Olive trees in June. 5% of the  flowers only will make it into an Olive.

An Olive Tree in July

Another Type of Olive in July. 

Not all the fruits will make it.

In August. 

Late August is the time when we start picking the Olive for brining.

September

October 2013 in Moulin de Castellas in Les Baux deProvence.

The machine that separates the Olives from the leaves and wood.

 

The Olives are now ready for processing.

At Picking time, Olives can either be green or ripe (i.e. black).

The colour depends on the position of the olive on the tree 

and how much sun it saw during the summer.

 

Journey time to the cleaning machine. 

Like a little jacuzzi.

 The Olive is then mixed for about 20mn in one of this machine.

Temperature must be constant around 27°C (about 82F). 

Hence the name First Cold Press

Solid is separated from the liquid by a spinning machine

The solid will be used as compost, back in the field.

The Moulin du Calanquet in St Remy separates the pits from the pulp.

Pulp is compost and pits will be burnt in the heating system.

Here is the Olive oil.

Ready to use in an instant.