History: After years of looking around the countryside in 2005 we found an isolated area at an elevation of 450 m above sea level which had not been cultivated for over 30 years. It was situated at Gömeç, Balıkesir between Ulubeyler and Kubaşlar villages overlooking the deep Edremit bay and the 12 islands of Ayvalık.
The area of plantation was important because we wanted carry out organic farming which meant that we had to be at minimum contact with conventional farmers near us.
1200 Ayvalık type olive seedlings were planted at one go. Also from Edremit olive research institute 2 seedlings each of 30 different varieties of olives were acquired and were planted in the center of the grove to achieve a quality pollination.
Ever since 2005 we have carried out organic olive farming under the control of an organic certification company. This means that we do not use chemicals at all.
It has become apparent over the years that conventional olive groves with similar number of trees of the same age produce 7 to 9 times the amount of our harvest. The chemicals do the trick.
Harvest: Workers, mostly ladies, come around from the nearby villages for the harvest. The collection mats are placed under the trees and the olives are striped off by hand onto the mats. At the end the daily harvest (300-600kg, depends on the year, olive tree gives good harvest every other year in our area) in baskets are taken to the olive oil mill.
Cold press: The olives are transformed to a paste like form and then water is added to this mix to extract the oil. Water must be added otherwise the oil cannot be obtained. The usual practice is to apply water heated to 40-50°C. Higher the water temperature greater the oil yield. But high temperatures damage the quality of the oil by reducing the amount of vitamins and the good minerals in the oil. The oil that is extracted using room temperature water (25-27°C) is known as “cold pressed”. We produce only “cold pressed” oil.
Early harvest: Lately “early harvest” olive oil has become a trend in the market. This is the oil produced from the olive that has been picked before the fruit has become ripe. How ripe the fruit is varies greatly. People start picking as early as the end of August for early harvest. But depending on the area, rainfalls and other climate factors that vary yearly the olive becomes fully ripe from around end of October.
In the old days all the olive mills in Turkey were patrolled by the Gendarmes to ensure that no extraction takes place before November 15. There were heavy fines to those who didn’t abide by the law as oil was regarded as a national commodity and oil extraction before the right time was being regarded as a national benefit loss.
Filter versus non-filter: After the oil is produced there are 2 choices you can either filter the product to ensure a long shelf life or chose to keep all the nice vitamins and minerals in the oil but consume it quickly. A non-filtered oil will keep its qualities for up to 1 year where as this can be increased to 2 years by filtering.
But keep in mind that there are several different types of filters available and the best types are expensive to use.
Virgin oil: Although personal preferences with regards to odor or taste differ, commercially the quality of the oil is determined by its acidity. Generally less acidity means a better oil. Virgin oils have a maximum acidity of 2% which means that in 100 grams there is less than 2 grams of oleic acid.
Extra virgin oil: Oils that have less then 0,8% acidity. The area we are situated is well known for its extra virgin oils with pungent, grassy and fruity smell.
Refined olive oil: Olive oil that has acidity of 3,3% or more are taken to factories where they go through chemical processes and at the end acidity is reduced to zero. All taste and smell are removed from the oil. This type of oil is good for frying. It maybe used for cooking too. It is not advised to be used on its own or in salads.
Riviera olive oil: These are oils that consist 60-85% refined olive oil with some 15-40% natural olive oil mixed in to achieve some natural odor and taste. The resulting acidity is around 1-1,5%. The smell and taste is similar to natural oil but its qualities are far from the real oil.
e-mail: m.suha@superonline.com
ins: rüzgarlitepe8502
Contact: Mehmet Suha Mankalyalı Tel: +90 532 261 2583
Adress:
1. 1064sk No4 Çandarlı mah, Dikili, İzmir
2. Kargen sitesi Vişne2 cad No43 Tulumtaş mah, Gölbaşı Ankara