The Year's Most Important Season
In the Mediterranean, the arrival of autumn heralds one thing: the olive harvest. Lasting roughly from November to February, this period is the busiest and most meaningful time of the year for the region's people.
A Family Ritual
The harvest is not merely an agricultural task. In Mediterranean villages, families, neighbours and friends gather in the groves. Nets spread under the trees, warm meals and the joy of working together turn this season into a social tradition.
Why Hand-Picking?
Modern machines are fast but can reduce quality. Traditional hand-picking:
- Does not bruise the fruit — preventing fermentation and rising acidity
- Allows ripe olives to be selected
- Is a prerequisite for the finest extra virgin
In ELMAR's Cretan groves, olives are picked carefully by hand at full ripeness.
The 24-Hour Rule
A good harvest is completed quickly. Picked olives must be processed within 24 hours, because fermentation begins as soon as the olive is detached from the tree. The shorter the time between harvest and cold extraction, the fresher and lower-acidity the oil.
The Reward of Labour
In every bottle lies the labour and joy of this autumn ritual.
Europe Olive Oil: 100% natural extra virgin olive oil, hand-picked and cold-extracted within 24 hours.