Releasing our olive oil always feels like such a huge accomplishment because it is such a strange process. Back on November 27th, we harvested 2.75 tons of olives the Monday after Thanksgiving. Even with a crew of about 20 people and a mix of electric rakes and human powered rakes, we were all pretty exhausted by the end of it.
The olives get milled the same day they are harvested to ensure peak quality, as olives start to oxidize the moment they are harvested. The oil then sits in barrels for a few months to allow for solids to settle and the flavor to mellow a bit. Our oil was in barrels for 3 months and was bottled on February 21.
Last week Friday, Nacho picked up our olive oil from where it gets milled and bottled, about 45 minutes away in Hopland. He had a moment of appreciation for the fact that the 7 and a half bins of olives only turned into a single pallet of olive oil. For us that means 704 bottles from about 500 trees that are managed for a mix of production, privacy, and beauty.
Because we have such a large mix of olive trees, each variety is at a different stage of ripeness when harvested. Less ripe green olives add spiciness while the more ripe purple olives are smooth and buttery in flavor. The flavor of the oil changes a bit from year to year. The 2023 harvest is a mellow and smooth olive oil with a bit of a grassy & peppery finish.
We're excited to share the November 2023 harvest with you!
What Goes Well With Olive Oil
- Season a piece of fish with Boonville Boil, salt, and Boonville Barn olive oil and pop in the oven till it is cooked through.
- Make a pot of Southwest Gold beans, add some herbs or dried chiles, and finish with a glug of olive oil and flaky salt.
- Make a chile oil to drizzle on everything with a mix of chile flakes!
- Have a perfect weeknight Pasta Aglio e Olio with our simple pasta kit.
