Location: Calabria, Italy
Date: circa 1891 to 1955
The production of olive oil was an annual tradition that took place between late October to early January, depending on the weather conditions of the season.
Harvesting Olives
As October drew to a close, Peppe and Angela strolled through their olive grove, checking the progress of the fruit to determine if the olives were ready to harvest. An agreed quantity was assigned to the landlord as rental payment, but the bulk of the olives were kept by Peppe and Angela for their own use. In a good season, the trees produced enough oil to last the entire year, with a surplus quantity available for selling or bartering. Therefore, to achieve the highest possible yields while at the same time striving for a quality oil, it was crucial to monitor the season's growth and make expert decisions based on what they saw. Peppe and Angela discussed their opinions with each other, but the olive specialist was Angela. Ultimately, she held the power for making the final decision on when and where to begin harvesting.
"The olives are ready for picking," she would tell Peppe, her words signalling the official start of the olive season.
“Allivi sunnu pronti u si cogghinu."
Angela focused on the trees that had started to drop their fruit onto the ground. Hand harvesting began by gathering the naturally ripened or windblown olives from beneath the tree, and then picking what remained on the branches. Once the season was underway, the key resource for a successful harvest was a workforce of manual labour, and this was provided by volunteers consisting of family members and neighbouring friends. Angela was in charge of coordinating the assembled teams and being a strong organiser, she ensured (and expected!) maximum efficiency. She assigned adults to specific trees, who with years of experience dating back to their childhood, could be relied on to carry out the work at their own steady pace. When dealing with children, Angela was strict and harshly scolded them if they became distracted or appeared lazy. Peppe, however, used a different approach to encourage the youngsters. He set targets for them, promising to reward them at the end of the day by playing a tune on his lira - if they filled five wicker baskets full of olives: “Coghiti ciunqu panari dallivi e doppu vi ioucu a lira.”
Processing Olives to Make Oil
The mill where Peppe took his olives to be processed into oil was locally known as ‘u troppitu’ and was located in the neighbouring suburb of San Leo. His olives were placed into a circular stone basin and crushed under the weight of a rotating millstone until a pulp was formed. The millstone was powered by the strength of a single ox. Yoked to a horizontal shaft, the ox walked around the outer edge of the basin, which in turn rolled the millstone over the olives, crushing them. The resulting pulp was then scooped into disc-shaped ‘zimbili’ bags made of woven cloth that allowed only liquid particles to seep through. These bags were stacked on top of each other and placed under a press to squeeze out the valuable oil from the pulp. After the oil had been completely extracted, Peppe even found a good use for the pulp residue remaining in the ‘zimbili’ bags. He fed a portion to his pigs, while some was dried and used as fuel for indoor heating.
When the extraction cycle was completed, the final product was a genuine, all natural, stone pressed, cold pressed, 100% organic olive oil – truly representing liquid gold. And like any building that contains a valuable treasure, ‘u troppitu’ with its fresh supply of olive oil needed to be guarded and protected from thieves. Therefore, during the night, ‘u massaru’ (the overseer) or one of his most trusted workers, stayed on the premises to deter potential robberies and ensure the oil remained safe until it was picked up by customers.
Olive Oil for Eating
At home, Peppe and Angela stored their oil in large, ceramic glazed clay jars. They placed the ‘giarri’ in a cool, dark room to keep the oil well preserved until it was needed. Olive oil was used daily in Angela’s kitchen. It was more than just an ingredient; it was a vital necessity of life.
Olive Oil for Lighting
Nothing was wasted. Nothing was thrown out. Everything was recycled. This even applied to rancid olive oil, which, after it had been used multiple times for frying, became unsuitable for further cooking use. The oil was given a new purpose; it became fuel for oil lamps, providing the main source of light in the evenings.
Sometime early January in the Trimboli home…
“Angela, ccendi a lumera. Si fici scuru,” said Peppe. The room had grown dim; it was time to light the lamp. He shifted his chair closer to the hearth and threw a piece of dried olive pulp into the fire, enjoying the instant warmth from the engulfing flames.
“U ogghiu vinni bonu chistu annu,” he added.
“Si,” agreed Angela. She’d been thinking the same thought. This year, the olive oil season was very good.
Continuing the Olive Oil Tradition in Australia
The pictured olive oil was made in 2022 using olives that were homegrown in Helena Valley and handpicked from the trees by a team of volunteers consisting of family members and friends. However, unlike ancestral methods, no ox was used during the processing!
Love this post. I learn something new whenever I read your extraordinary findings. So much thought and preparation achieving this great result.
You are very special
Thank you ♥️