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One of the best parts about picking olives: the beautiful view of the valley below.
Drive into the hills in Tuscany in late October, and if you see nets surrounding the olive trees, you know they're getting ready to harvest.
If you're going to pick olives, wear clothes that you don't mind getting torn or stained by olive juice.
Picking olives by hand is a little like milking a cow. Just squeeze until the olive falls off the branch.
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Picking OlivesOlives are one of the most important and versatile foods in Europe. They're the basis for Mediterranean cooking, and depending on who you ask — Greeks, French, Spaniards or Italians — each will say they make the best olive oil.
These disagreements even exist between Italians, though the hills stretching from Florence to Lucca are usually considered the finest region for Italian olive oil.
Quick Facts About Olive Oil
When: In Italy the time for picking olives is during October and November.
Where: We have a friend who has a grove of trees — over a thousand — and each year we help him when it comes time to harvest. If you don't know anybody and you'd like to pick olives, drive into the hills. Where you see nets set on the ground, you know they're picking, and since there's always a shortage of pickers, people will love to see that you're willing to lend a hand.
What to Wear: the clothes you'll want to wear are anything that you'd use to climb a tree. Since there are lots of branches, be careful of clothes that might snag or tear. Wear shoes that are comfortable and clothes you don't mind staining with olive juice!
How to Pick: the best thing to do is pick with your hands (it's like milking a cow!), though there are a number of modern methods as well. People even use sticks to beat the olives off the branches.
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