ORGANIC Olive oil/greece [organic] vita verde

A rarity among olive oils. Optimum ripeness, gentle processing and raw food quality are the culinary characteristics of this olive oil made from fully ripe Koroneiki olives from the Peloponnese. In recent years, a small group of olive growers in the Peloponnese have been convinced of the high cultivation and quality criteria. They now cultivate exclusively according to the strict Vita Verde quality guidelines. All of these groves are located close together at an altitude of over 500 meters. This altitude means that the fruit ripens more slowly, receives more hours of sunshine and is firmer and tastier. Irrigation is not used.

The Koroneiki olive is a small, firm olive and is known for its fruitiness, which is the basis for this tasty, fruity but not bitter olive oil. The olives are only picked by hand when they are fully ripe, transported in baskets and brought directly to the mill by the farmers. There they are sorted. Only the best olives are used for our olive oil. Our high-quality extra virgin olive oil with a fine, fruity, mild taste is then produced within a few hours using the first cold pressing method! Unique.

All Vita Verde olives are organically grown in accordance with EU Organic Regulation (EC) No. 848/2018. This means that they are free from fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Regular analyses of the olive oil confirm its high purity and quality. Any contact with plastics is strictly avoided. Accordingly, the olive oil is also completely free from plasticizers (phthalates).

Olive harvesting using the safe-bird method

At Ölmühle Solling, we assure you that all the olive oils we offer in our range are made from olives harvested using the Safe Bird method.

Why does a certain harvesting method pose a risk to songbirds? Farmers in the Mediterranean region start harvesting their olives in October. In intensive cultivation on large plantations, olives are sometimes harvested with certain harvesting machines in order to save costs for harvesting assistants. The olives are shaken from the trees at night and are not collected by hand with nets, but are sucked in with large machines. By harvesting at night, the farmers also hope to improve the shelf life of the olives. This is because olives that are harvested during the day are heated by the sunlight and need to be processed more quickly after harvesting. However, the problem is that the night-time harvest takes place in the dark. At this time, numerous songbirds are resting in the trees. Due to the loud noises made by the harvesting machines in the dark, most of the birds remain disoriented in the trees in search of shelter. This leads to the birds being sucked in and killed. This would be different if the machines were used during the day, as the birds are not disoriented in daylight and can leave the trees. Fortunately, this harvesting method is being used less and less, as large international olive oil companies are being petitioned to ban the harvesting method that relies on sucking olives out of the trees at night.

We assure you that the olives for our olive oils are only harvested during the day without the use of suction cups and with absolute respect for the animals and the environment.

Olive oil is obtained from the pulp of olives by cold pressing and contains unsaturated fatty acids (approx. 78% oleic acid) and valuable minerals.

The relationship between fats in the diet and high blood pressure has not yet been fully clarified. However, it has been proven that the Mediterranean diet with its various properties, high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), carbohydrates, fiber and micronutrients has a beneficial effect on a healthy lifestyle.