Pulp Friction

A very big thanks to the true believers who braved the journey to come and help us pick the olives this year.

Total  785kg  resulting in nearly  100L of very fine extra virgin olive oil. Low yield but great flavour. 

Each time I get to see the processing I am amazed at the generosity of this humble fruit to give up its free flowing oil.  But even with the new technology available there is still a great deal of expert experience needed to get the best out of a crop. Karen who is  running the show at Camillo Olives near Teesdale explained the intricacies of the process over a few hours that were needed to extract our oil.

 The perfectly engineered hammer mill makes the fruit into a pulp/paste that can then be “malaxed” or kneaded until the oil pools. Over malaxing can cause the temperature to get too high excluding it from Extra Virgin status.  Sometimes a little water is added to help the oil separate from the paste. After the malaxing the pulp is pumped into the centrifuge and its now that the fine tuning begins. Link here to the first time we pressed our olives.

 

With the help if a micrometer Karen adjusts the inflow pipe to get maximum oil and also minimum grey water. If you have run a coffee machine it’s a little like adjusting the grind to get the best extraction.  Karen had to adjust the spinner at least 20 times during the day to get the correct “Veil” [Baristas read Crema]  seen here on a spoon ,the line of clear oil in the middle of the flow is the correct indicator.

 

The best parts of picking and processing are the conversations around the trees and press that make an otherwise dull repetitive process into a joyous communal affair.Time to catch up with mates- break some bread, spin some yarns.

Verdict?   Come and taste it yourself......

Thank you all again.

Notes from the 18th Australian Symposium of Gastronomy.

3 Easy Pieces

 Old Parliament House Canberra,  to discuss some  historical and modern questions of Gastronomy with Federation as the focal point.

The full papers will be available in time  at..http://gastronomers.org/.

It begins with a debate whether we should legislate for good food?

 Won decisively by the Negative.

 Less regulation would be better for “food matters”

Belated question through the Chair [Alan Saunders]

Would the honourable Leader of the Opposition [Robin Archer] oppose the bill from the Independent from Whoorel that legislates to allow naturally fermented meats, cheese [in all its forms]  and fresh wild  game to be made and sold openly?

Lunch in the old Members Dining Room [silky oak conservative neo Griffin grand dining room]

Denis Dowell  points to a lone picnic on the lawns halfway up to New Parliament house while Michael Symons delivers the final paper. Denis has the perfect perspective, the One  Continuous Picnic lives on.

Last Night

Sat next to Ian Bersten who took me inside the coffee cup deeper than I have ever been.

 

Outside at the aboriginal embassy I bot a light and warm myself in front of the fire that has been burning for 40 years.

Breakfast in the old kitchen, the range was made in StKilda

Coffee and a gutsy conversation before the flight

Thank you Mary Brander for your generous hospitality.


 and David for showing me this.

Olive Pickers Please

 If you would like to help us pick the olive harvest this year we would greatly appreciate a few helping hands. The wood oven,  kitchen, bar and coffee machine will all be fully loaded and an abundance of sustenance will be provided for all those who would like to spend a day together picking the largest harvest we have seen had so far. The trees are laden and we guestimate the optimum ripeness to be on the weekend of May 21 and 22 the restaurant will be closed as we will be on our annual break.

 We welcome any of our regular or should I say irregular visitors to spend a day helping us to bring in the harvest.  No BYO and  all consumables provided.  If you can come please let us know you are coming  by ringing zero three 52362276 for catering numbers. Bring a hat, possibly wet weather gear, some good stories and a healthy appetite.