June in the Olive Grove

​Harvest, Harvest, Harvest. 
   
June is harvest month in Marlborough so select a date and get booked for your pressing.   If you haven’t booked a pressing slot yet then you need to get onto it as space is very limited.  The Press is already fully booked from 1 – 15 June. We are extremely busy this year with heavy crop loads and many growers doing multiple picks as fruit ripens.  Crop volumes are also coming in above estimates.

Don’t panic, because you still have time, but get organised to insure you get a booking without leaving it to the last minute.  We will be open for pressing all through June with our last delivery day being 30 June.
  
Some fruit seems slow to ripen this season despite colour change.  Do check your fruit’s maturity (use the colour maturity index in the April newsletter) so you pick at a time that maximises your oil return per kilogram of fruit.  Otherwise, it could be very expensive olive oil per litre.  Oil percentages have ranged between 6 -16%.

All the information you need to book in a pressing and to find past newsletters is on our website olivepressmarlborough.co.nz but here is a summary below:
 
Harvest 2025.     What to do to get your olives pressed.
The first thing you need to do is read the Supplier Responsibilities form which outlines our Food Safety and Workplace Safety requirements.
Next you must fill out the Supplier Declaration and email that to the Booking Coordinator at [email protected] with a proposed delivery date and estimated volume of fruit.  We cannot make bookings without this paperwork.  We will then negotiate a delivery time.
When you deliver the fruit you will need to bring in your completed Supplier Delivery/Collection Declaration along with clean and appropriate receptacles for your oil and something to take away your pomace waste. All clearly labelled.
Appropriate Receptacles for oil are: food grade plastic or stainless steel storage containers.  Ideally these should be a minimum capacity of 5 litres as it is very fiddly and time consuming to fill smaller containers.  Glass is unacceptable.  We will reject inappropriate or dirty receptacles.
Pomace Waste containers: these should be leak proof and large enough to hold an amount equivalent to your fruit volume.  They could be the container you bring your fruit in if appropriate.  Pomace is sloppy so a lid may be useful.  If you are unable to take your pomace you will be charged a waste fee on top of your pressing fee.
Leaf blowing:  please ensure your fruit is as clean as possible.  If it is full of leaf, twigs and other debris it will have to go through the leaf blower and you will be charged a fee for this.  Excess leaf will be identified at weigh in.

​Happy Harvesting and enjoy your fresh, bright and tasty olive oil, maybe over Matariki weekend with family and friends.