Tuesday 8 July 2014

The Royal Oil

Straight from the tree, the taste of these little pellets are indisputably nauseating, but when processed, these particular olives (that would otherwise make you dry reach) turn into the most glorious golden goodness. I was fortunate enough to meet Steve Goodchild from Pukara Estate recently, one of Australia’s leading olive oil producers.

 
Pukara Estate grew, harvested, processed and bottled a remarkable 480 tonnes of olives last year and leads the industry in innovative automated farming practices. The first trees on the 200 acre property in the Upper Hunter Valley were planted in 1999, now 15 years on, this farm has flourished. The grove consists of approximately 20,000 mature trees with the vast majority of production sourced from Italian and Spanish varieties.
The frosty winters that we’re now seeing are conducive to pruning to increase airflow and sunlight within the branches while the trees are dormant. The trees are mechanically pruned annually, and then hand manicured every three years. During spring, the trees start to flower. The focus during this time is to keep the crop well watered in preparation of the pips hardening in Summer. Unlike many other farmers, Steve cringes at the thought of substantial rains in late summer, as heavy water threatens the oil within the fruit and increases the likelihood of fungal diseases. Autumn is when rubber hits the road- the crop is harvested using a mechanical shaker to drop the fruit on to a conveyor. This impressive machinery swiftly harvests a new tree every 20 seconds through a shaking motion. The press runs full noise 24 hours a day over a 4-5 week period to keep up with the harvesting. In fact 6-10 hours of harvesting demands a busy 24 hours of processing. If that wasn’t enough, olives only yeild 20% oil, so Steve has to deal with the remaining 80% as waste. He adopts a sustainable and inexpensive solution to this problem by distributing it amongst the trees as compost.
Olive oils are unquestionably Pukara’s staple provedore product; however Steve has fruitfully tried his hand at vinegars too. The grapes for the popular vinegars are sourced locally in the Upper Hunter and processed on site. The vinegars are hand crafted and the mother culture used dates back to the late 1800’s! The diverse vinegars vary from aged balsamic to pomegranate and guava.
So you’re worried about the calories. Olive oil is not only delicious but also nutritious! Let me ask you this, what do you think of when I mention Mediterranean women? I think of a bronzed beauty not a big booty! I recently read that this wonder product can improve your memory while making you more beautiful. No joke- the world’s highest selling book mentions that the Persian King Xerxes’ wives used olive oil to make themselves beautiful. Now, who are you to argue with the bible?!

 
Some interesting facts on olive farming and olive oil below
  • Initially Pukara Estate’s olive trees took 4-5 years to produce a commercial crop. Through improved varieties and care, the olive grove can now produce a commercial crop within 12-24 months of striking a cutting
  • Olives are considered 'cold pressed’. This term certainly sounds romantic but the fact is that the olive paste needs to be warm however the paste temperature can not exceed 28 degrees when processed, often this requires the fruit to be heated as temperatures during the late autumn period can be extremely cold!
  • They’re not pressed either, like many other oil products, olive oil is separated through a centrifuge system
  • Australia contributes approximately 2% of the world’s olive oil supply, and approx 8% of premium extra virgin olive oil globally
  • Many people think that ‘light’ olive oil is better for you or has fewer calories. Wrong! ‘light’ olive oil generally refers to a lighter flavour and a much poorer quality product that is not of extra virgin quality
  • Studies have shown that olive oil has a protective role on breast, colon, lung, ovarian and skin cancer and can reduce cardiovascular risk factors- so get into it!
  • An olive tree can live for an indefinite period, trees well over 1,000 years old are know to be alive today
  • All olives start out green and then turn black or a dark purple as they ripen
Steve’s tenacity and commitment has seen his products last the distance. Be it oils, vinegars or mayonnaise, Pukara products have become a household name and there’s a humble farmer behind the product to recognise. I’m certainly fortunate to have this incredible produce in my backyard.

Stephanie Alexander says all you need for an incredible fish is a piece of lemon in one hand and a good bottle of extra virgin olive oil in the other. I’ve also included a mouth-watering recipe care of Pukara Estate.

Grilled Dukkah Saganaki

  • 1 egg white, lightly whisked
  • 125g Saganaki cheese wedge (specialty Greek cheese similar to haloumi)
  • 2 tbls Pukara Estate Cashew and Roast Onion Dukkah
  • 2 tbls Pukara Estate Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Evenly spread the dukkah on a flat plate. Gently whisk the egg white in a small bowl. Heat a small pan over a medium heat with half of the olive oil. Dip the saganaki wedge in the egg whites and then coat with the dukkah. Repeat for a second time so is well coated.

Place the cheese in the hot pan and cook on both sides until golden (about two minutes on one side, and a minute on the other).

Throw the saganaki together with some thinly sliced pears, rocket leaves, a small handful of chopped walnuts and dress with caramelised balsamic vinegar and the rest of the olive oil.




 

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