POINTS TO CONSIDER DURING HARVESTING IN BOUTIQUE OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION
February 11, 2026
In boutique, or quality-focused, olive oil production, the key factors are involved in a long chain from the orchard to the packaging. Each link in this chain is of great importance in terms of quality.
In the garden;
- Harvesting olives according to the condition of their minor components is one of the quality criteria for olive oil, especially in terms of polyphenols.
- When determining harvest time, the "Maturity Index," previously established through scientific studies, is taken into consideration. According to this maturity index, stage "2" or "3" is suitable.
- All harvesting tools and equipment must be washed and cleaned before harvesting begins. In particular, crates should be washed every evening during the harvest and prepared for the morning.
- If quality is the goal, olives that have touched the ground during harvesting should not be picked.
- The highest quality harvest is done by hand. This minimizes damage to both the fruit and the tree. The closest harvesting technique to this is, whenever possible, harvesting by shaking the fruit onto a spread using an electric rake.
- Harvesting must be done in perforated plastic crates with a capacity of 20-25 kg.
- During harvesting, the plants must be carefully cleaned of leaves, shoots, and other foreign matter before being packed into crates.
- During harvesting, full crates should be kept in the shade either under a tree or under a shading material. They should not be left in the sun, rain, or snow.
- During the harvest season, it is crucial for quality that the olives collected between morning and noon are transported to the processing plant as quickly as possible. Similarly, olives collected throughout the day need to be delivered to the factory as soon as possible for processing.
- The time between harvesting and processing should not exceed 24 hours. Olives picked from the branch begin to lose water through respiration depending on the humidity and temperature of the air. At the same time, the sap that seeps between the cells due to impact during harvesting oxidizes upon contact with air, and microorganisms in the air cause various infections, primarily fungal infections, leading to post-harvest deterioration that affects quality.
- Starting the harvest at level "1" harvest maturity means starting with high polyphenol content.
- As the harvest progresses, the oil content will increase, but since polyphenols will decrease, the quality will also begin to decline.
- High polyphenol content extends the shelf life of olive oil.
- Harvesting by variety requires following a specific order during processing. Different varieties should be collected in separate crates and processed separately, as each olive variety has its own unique fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency.
- When harvesting wild olives, the fruit must be green. If it has turned black, there is no need to rush to harvest it.
- During harvesting, priority should be given to damaged fruits (due to hail, olive fly, etc.). These damaged fruits are already dying physiologically very quickly. Therefore, processing them into oil before they die is the best approach.
If we liken the olive fruit to a "diamond," then properly processed, high-value boutique olive oil is a "brilliant." A brilliant is a special cut of a diamond that requires great skill to reveal the infinite brilliance and fire within the diamond.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mücahit Taha ÖZKAYA - Agricultural Engineer
Source: http://apelasyon.com/Yazi/903-zeytin-mektebi-butik-zeytinyagi-uretiminde-hasatta-dikkat-edilmesi-gerekenler
