Olive Harvest in Puglia: A unique and rewarding experience

Olive harvest time is not only great fun but an incredible experience, and in Puglia we’ve just started the olive harvest which will run through November and December. As you drive through the verdant countryside during this period, you’ll notice olive groves are carpeted by nets with men and women working together with joy, dedication and passion.

The world of olive oil is fascinating. Harvesting, pressing, and spending time with authentic farmers in the grove is such an amazing experience – certainly not to miss if you’re visiting Italy in fall.

Olives and nets

Picking olives alongside local workers, watching the olives as they’re pressed into liquid gold, and tasting the exquisite olio nuovo (new oil) as it’s drizzled on fresh bread – what’s not to love? And in Puglia, the extra-virgin olive oil produced in this region is recognized to be among the best in the world.

From olives to liquid gold

The “raccolta” (harvest) starts very early in the morning and after their “caffé caldo”, workers gather in the groves and rake olives from the thick branches into large mesh-like nets stretched out beneath the trees.

When picked manually, olives are usually picked in teams of three/five persons per tree and while it is fun, it’s also a laborious one. One important point to note is that once harvested, olives will be pressed as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation or fermentation.

Handpicking olives

Olives are brought to the “frantoio” (mill) and this is when the magic happens: first the olives are weighed. At the mill, a machine removes the leaves and the stems, and another rinses the olives before funneling them into the grinder.

Once crushed, the olives rotate for about fifteen minutes. The skins will be then separated and the remaining oil continues through the cold press to its final filtration and bottling phase. And at the end of the production line, the first drops will appear.

A unique experience in Puglia

If you’d like to be part of this experience, you’re in luck. YLTOUR organizes a harvest experience where each day after breakfast, you begin by picking the olives. After all that hard work, you’re treated to a delicious lunch – a traditional “cucina povera” home-cooked meal served with toasted slices of bread topped with the new oil that’s just pressed and of course, local wine.

It’s a rewarding and an unforgettable experience that allows you to be in contact with nature, share the passions of the farmers, and understand their love and dedication to the land. It’s all about enjoying the simple things of life.

Editor’s comments: Ylenia runs YLTOUR and recently I sent a friend from the US to Puglia to join their culinary program. To this day my friend is still raving about that experience and so I have no qualms about recommending her services. I’ve also met Ylenia who very kindly took the time to show me around Lecce when I was in Puglia last year. If you want a glimpse of the olive harvest in Italy, check out this video which was filmed in Umbria.