Did you know everyone was organic by default until 1960 ?!!!!

OLIVES

Olive is a fruit that cannot be consumed directly from the tree.  It is necessary to undergo a series of processes  to remove the bitter component.  For Golden Olive “Vassiliki” this is a traditional process that we follow from Generation to Generation, using lemon, celery & spices to produce the excellent flavour and taste.  Our olives have naturally a higher natural sugar component in the flesh.  A high sugar content in the flesh is an asset better flavour - the lowest acceptable level is 4%.

It is a two month long labour of love, at the final stage we add our certified organic extra virgin olive oil “Golden Olive ‘Eleni’ which sweetens the olive.  The Commercial Caustic Soda Process of Olives takes about 10 hours, an unorthodox commercially successful way to reduce labour and time.  This method is producing the olives tasteless,  because the process strips the olive of all its goodness.

An olive weighing over 5 grams is considered large.

The stone ratio of 5 to 1 is acceptable.  The higher  the ratio the better the commercial value of the olive.  When the skin becomes soft the flesh of the olive deteriorates and its taste becomes awful, there are two reasons this happens.  Old olives or over processed.

The 2001 - 2002 season was very problematic for olives due to anomalies of the weather from drought to extreme cold weather.   Snow in many areas of Southern Greece is very unusual, and whenever it happens it never lasts.  But this year the low temperatures in some areas reached -27C and that did the damage not only to the olives but to the olive trees.  At the same time life is becoming difficult for the farmers who agonize to make a living and they are confronted with high prices in fertilizers and other supplies when at the same time young people are moving to the big cities looking for a better life and abandoning family farms.

Table olives need special care and careful pruning since you cannot use any type of machinery and only hand picking will protect them from bruising.  Therefore it is becoming uneconomical each year  harvesting table olives.  Kalamata olives, suffered particularly due to a rainy November which delayed the harvest and a freak cold snap in December that destroyed crops.  Remember that the Kalamata olives grow only in that Region of the Peloponese in Greece, no where else in the world.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  Our Golden Olive ‘Eleni’® Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was the Official Supplier to the Bocuse d’Or Finals in June 2002 for the Canadian Qualifier and the Junior Competitions in Vancouver.

Basil Olive Oil Products Ltd. continues to support excellence and competition, by offering its support to the Talented Canadian Bocuse d’Or Teams going to Lyon in January 2003.   We Thank Our Customers, Chef’s and B.C. Chef’s Association for their Support.

Sincerely,

Basil and Helen Koutalianos

Basil Olive Oil Products Ltd.