Olive Oil: Everything You Need to Know

Olive da olio: tutto quello che c'è da sapere
As we have already seen, not all olives are created for the same purpose .
 Some are only table olives , others are oil olives, and still others can be used for both purposes.

For example, among these are:

  • Taggiasca (Liguria)

  • Carolea (Calabria)

  • Itrana (Lazio)

  • Tonda Iblea (Sicily)


How do you recognize olive tree varieties?
Olive tree varieties can be identified, although it is a very complex method, by indices:

  • biometrics

  • vegetative

  • productive

  • agronomic

  • maturation model


The vegetative part consists of the root, stem and leaf.
 In each olive tree it can be different:

  • the trunk

  • foliage (different in shape, size and color)

  • drupe (olive) that changes according to the cultivar


The varieties of olives for oil


varieties of oil olives

In Italy, there are over 700 existing varieties of olives for oil !
 It is the area with the greatest variety of olive cultivars in the world: this richness is due to the varieties of the regions of origin, interregional diffusion is limited and this allows for many native cultivars.
 Each region has its own specific characteristics , for example: Puglia has 53 different cultivars, Tuscany 110 (the richest region), Sicily 60, Lazio 42, Umbria 35, Campania 104, and so on. Many Italian regions, from North to South, have their own particular oil.

There are no qualities of olives more valuable than others , it depends on many factors such as how the year went and the oil yield.
 Spain grows hundreds of different cultivars of olives, in fact there are approximately 312 Spanish cultivars , but the most common varieties are Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina and Cornicabra.

There is not even a better olive for producing oil , what is certain is that some cultivars have a higher percentage of polyphenols but this characteristic is worth nothing if it is not associated with other attentions (such as harvest time, the entire extraction process, etc.).

Among the most well-known varieties of olives for oil we find:

  • Coratina

  • Oil mill

  • Leccino

  • Pendulum

  • Moraiolo

  • Cellina


The Coratina variety takes its name from the ancient village of Corato (a city in the Province of Bari), one of the oldest and longest-lived areas where this olive variety is grown.

Olives are born all green, then the colors change and modify as they ripen.

Coratina is a type of olive variety for oil production

When to harvest olives for oil


The harvest period for olives for oil is not universal, it depends on the cultivar.
Generally, the olives are harvested at 50% veraison, but this is only an indication: if they are harvested earlier, for example in October, we will have an olive rich in polyphenols but with a low yield.
 This requires always evaluating quality and quantity, also considering the specificity of the cultivar in question (there are late cultivars).

But how many olives are needed to produce a litre of oil ?
 In our experience, considering the period of June 2023, the average yield is around 15-16%, or approximately 15-16 kilos of oil for every quintal of olives brought to be pressed.
But be careful: don't forget that a litre of oil weighs approximately 916 grams .

For example, for the Simone cultivar the yield is approximately 10%.

the Simone cultivar is a variety of olive for oil

How should olives for oil be treated?


Olives for oil are treated with care from the harvest onwards, following some fundamental steps for the final success:

  • During the acceptance phase we verify that the olives are intact and transported appropriately

  • Once they arrive at the mill, it is important that they are crushed within 24 hours at the most.

  • they should never be piled up

  • The olives are stored in bins with lateral openings to facilitate the passage of air into the mass of olives: in this way it is possible to avoid overheating them.


All these steps are carried out with the utmost care within the Frantoio D'Orazio to guarantee an excellent final result, that is, obtaining an extra virgin olive oil without defects .

5 curiosities about olives



  1. Olives are actually a stone fruit (like peaches or cherries).

  2. Unlike most tree fruits, olives are not edible directly from the branch: they are cured in various ways to remove bitter-tasting compounds.

  3. All olives are green at birth, and their color varies depending on when they are harvested. Generally, the greener they are, the less ripe they are.

  4. The flavor of each olive varies depending on the variety. The bold, bold flavors vary for several reasons: olive variety, ripeness or color of the olives (how early or late they were harvested), and how they are cured.

  5. Olive trees are an ancient Mediterranean crop, cultivated and harvested for thousands of years. Most are hundreds of years old and still bear delicious fruit!


For those wondering if you can buy olives to make oil and where, the answer is very simple: yes, you can buy them at the mill but obviously during the olive oil season .