06 February 2011

Fruits of our Labor

26.5 Liters. That's how much fresh olive oil I picked up at the Moulin de Baussy et Fils in Speracedes yesterday afternoon. Since early November we have been harvesting olives from the more than 20 trees at our house and taking them to the mill in batches. Last weekend I delivered the final 15 kilos, bringing our season total to 161 kilos of olives.

So yesterday I took three containers to the mill -- including the 20 liter gas can you see in the photo on the left -- and had them filled. On the way home I stopped at our local boulangerie for some bread and we had our official tasting. The results from the family are in: Julia: really good. Patrick: really good. Henry: mmmm. Kerri: a nice bite at the end. Me: really good.

Half of the oil will be saved for the owners of the house and we will get to keep the other half. 13 liters should last us a good long time.

We've sort of documented the process and here's a quick look back at the last few months:

After shaking the trees, Julia gets some help sorting the olives from the leaves.

After they are picked they need to rest for a few days in a cool, dry area-- Kerri makes sure they get moved every day so they don't spoil

Load 'em up in the car. This was our first batch - 77 kilos

Carry them in to the mill. Yes, that is snow on the Cote d'Azur. It happens every once in a while.

Put it on your dining table and take a photo.

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