Our “Glenbrook” olive grove has 10,000 Picual trees, and it is gloriously positioned along the Macintyre Brook. Our trees are well established, and are irrigated with our 100mg water licence from the Macintyre. The trees are consistently monitored to produce optimum fruit.
Our olives are cold pressed, typically within 4 hours of being harvested from the trees. This ensures that the olives do not become musty before pressing, which could lead to the oil being downgraded to virgin olive oil.
Our olive trees are the Spanish Picual variety. The word “picual” refers to the shape of the olive, which comes to a pointed tip. This medium-to-large olive weighs on average 3.2 grams. It has a high oil content, averaging 27%. The excellence of the oil it produces, is due to the highly desirable fatty acid content, and the antioxidants in the fruit.
The Picual olive has a high resistance to oxidation. This means it is ideal for preserving raw and cooked foods. Picual olives have wonderful fruity flavor, and are a full-bodied olive. They have a light peppery taste, and a little bitterness. The flavour has also been described as of tomato leaf, green herbs, and cut grass.
Our EVOO usually contains 80% monounsaturated oleic acid, an important factor in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and only 4% linoleic acid, which is detrimental in excess. Monovarietal olive oils, made from olives like the Picual, are a great way to take in more polyphenols.
Polyphenols are believed to have a variety of health benefits. Research shows that they help reduce morbidity and slow the development of neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Some of the polyphenols found in extra virgin olive oil are oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and oleocanthal
