Starting
at the end of October, the trees are constantly checked and usually before
mid November, the first ripe olives appear. Harvest begin always before
the olives are fully ripe, in order to obtain better quality albeit less
quantity.
Harvest
last usually for three weeks and olives are exclusively picked by hand
from the trees: those already fallen are not picked because too ripe.
Once
harvest has begun, it proceeds as rapidly ad possible, since adverse
climate conditions can delay and, in some cases, actually interrupt it. In
fact, after a rainfall, olives cannot be picked until completely dry in
order not to endanger the final quality of the product.
