Here at Bavejdon Vineyards & Orchards the olives are getting large, ready to be cured into delicious table olives. We usually start processing them in October when they are fully grown, yet still bright green, using a hand-curing process that takes about 2 weeks. This results in glistening, green, buttery olives, ready for Holiday relish trays. Curing table olives is only the first step of the 2-month long Olive Season. The second step is pressing the olives into oil.

From October to late November, the olives continue growing and ripening, changing from shiny apple-green to dark red and black. The greener the olive when pressed, the more grassy the oil, the darker the olive, the more buttery the oil. Each stage of ripeness contributes different tastes & aromas to the final oil. Blending different kinds of olives with different ripeness levels into the most flavorful bottle requires a winemakers blending & pressing skills.

Olives, once picked, must be pressed quickly to maintain health qualities. Olives are loaded into a hopper for washing, then milled into a thick paste that moves through several other steps for separation and filtration. Fresh pressed oil has a mild, buttery mouth feel and the famous “kick to the back of the throat” that indicates it’s freshness & health.

Bavejdon Vineyards produces extra-virgin and estate-produced oil (grown, crushed and bottled on-site) under the Rabani-brand name. It is an artisan product, made in small batches that must be stored in a cool, dark place to maintain its freshness.

Farmer Max & Chef Toni can be found selling their olive oil, vinegars & seasonal produce at the Lancaster Farmers Market on Tuesdays. At some future point, they will be selling their products online at http://www.bavejdonvineyards.com.