Olive Harvest November 2016

The olive trees at the Saletti farm were heavy with fruit in the warm Tuscan sun when we arrived at the very end of October.

Sorting out the leaves and twigs

The weather was picture perfect, not a cloud in the sky as we joined the extended Saletti family and their friends for the annual harvest.  The farm was alive with the activity of the migrant olive pickers.  They use vibrating giant comb-like rakes on long handles to coax the olives from the trees to cascade down onto long nets spread underneath.

Every few hours a truck from the coop arrives to transport the olives to the mill for pressing.  The dark green oil flows freely adding an intoxicating aroma as large jars are filled.

While we can say we "helped" with the harvest, our efforts were minor, compared to the rewards of all the bounty at this time of year.  At lunch we gathered around a very long table in the nearby town to enjoy fresh porcini mushrooms (zuppa di porcini), roasted wild boar (cinghiale), and chestnut cake (castagnaccio).

Four olive varieties ready for transport to the pressing mill.