One of the most important phases to obtain a quality oil is the harvest of olives.
The production/harvest starts in October and continues until December, whereas in the southwest coast until
January.
Most of the produce is harvested during the third ten days of October and second ten days of
December. Most olives for home consumption in Berat are picked during October and the rest in November.
In Vlora County the majority of the produce is harvested during November and December. Even in central Albania, the majority of the olives are picked in November and the rest in October and December.
The time of the harvest is related with the subject that processes the oil:
those who produce extra-virgin olive oil prefer the olives to be harvested soon, when the acidity is lower.
The harvest time is decided also based on the variety. For example, in Vlorë (Novoselë),
Frantoia is picked in October, whereas Kalinjot olives (the Ionian coast area) usually are picked in November and December.
The Harvest is usually done with mechanical tools. The most important thing is to process the olives right away after the harvest, so the olives shouldn’t be kept in stock.
