Israel Romero / Friday, October 11, 2024 / Categories: Blog In October, the new early-harvest extra virgin olive oil arrives. Processing the olives for extra virgin olive oil. In Spain, the olives used to produce extra virgin olive oil are harvested during the months of October, November, and December, depending on factors such as the location of the groves or the variety. In any case, the months of greatest harvesting intensity for olive oil are usually November and December. For olive oil, it also matters if you want to produce an early-harvest EVOO, which is characterized by being more intense and aromatic; although its harvesting is more complex and its yield is lower, and this is carried out during the month of October. Table of contents Every drop of EVOO is a treasure An incomparable emerald green color Trend of early-harvest extra virgin olive oils All olive oil obtained from olives harvested in January —right at the change of color from green to purple, or even a little earlier— is considered early-harvest olive oil. There is no fixed date for harvesting these early olives, as it depends on the area, the olive variety, and the weather conditions, although we can establish a typical period starting around early/mid-October and ending approximately around mid-November. Every drop of EVOO is a treasure The yields of early-harvest olive oils are lower than those of traditional extra virgin olive oils. If the latter typically have an oil-to-olive weight ratio yield between 20% and 25%, the fat yield of the former is on average between 12% and 14%, that is, to produce early-harvest olive oils we need more kilos of olives than for extra virgin olive oils made from riper olives. The concept "Early Harvest" is not regulated by any legislation, and therefore no official verification controls are carried out. It is a quality designation created and assumed by the olive oil producers themselves. An incomparable emerald green color Early-harvest olive oils are characterized by their bright green color (due to their higher chlorophyll content) and by herbaceous aromas and flavors and fresh fruity notes; more powerful and fruit-forward than oils pressed from riper olives which, while still excellent, have somewhat more subdued and mature nuances. In general, they tend to be stronger, more peppery, and more bitter. On the other hand, green oils, in addition to having lower ranges of acidity and lower peroxide levels (which measure the degree of oxidation), have a higher concentration of polyphenols and natural antioxidants — in other words, they are oils with greater health benefits. Trend of early-harvest extra virgin olive oils "Early-harvest extra virgin olive oil" is our quintessential premium gourmet product. We have excellent EVOO in all Spanish geographic areas: Catalonia, Aragon, the Valencian Community, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, and the great EVOO region, Andalusia. A true privilege that should make us see how fortunate we are. A wonderful juice, an elixir for our body. The gastronomic pleasure that only serves to enhance any recipe. The 24/25 Early Harvest EVOO is just around the corner. Enjoy them!! Because 'Made in Spain' means quality. Spain is Quality — it's Made in Spain Gourmet. Fall: gourmet recipes… but made at home Print 5 Rate this article: No rating Please login or register to post comments.