Welcome to harvest  OLIVE OIL in Andalusía, Málaga 

How are ancient olive trees harvested? How is olive oil made? What are some great ways to use olive oil?
A guided workshop; description of olive varietals, care and maintanence of olive trees, instruction and participation in olive havesting, great traditional food, olive pressing and oil production, soap making and much more.

490 € /person  (@ 4 guests)
Included in the fee (5 days):
Transport from Málaga, accommodations, local transport, guidning, history, olive picking, visit to the cooperative press, breakfast, tapas and home cooked Andalusian welcome dinner. Other meals: self catering or restaurant/bar.

DATES:  choose dates between 10 nov - 10 mars. We also organize 1-, 2-, och 3-day workshops – or, you can extend you visit with as many day as you like for a little extra fee – booking allowing.

History – havest – food. In Andalusia olives have been cultivated for more than 3000 years. Spain has more olive trees and produces more olive oil than any other country in the world, and of course with the highest quality. In the small, authentic village of Cútar the methods utilized to cultivate olive are still very traditional, from family owned ancient groves. read more. Accomodations in 2-, or 3, bed rooms at laCultura, our small intimate hostel in the middle of the village.

CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR DESIRED DATES and INQUIRY OF AVAILABILTY     Let’s go / laCultura

day 1
18.00  Transfer from Málaga/airport
19.00  Arrival to Cútar                  
20.30  Home-cooked
Andalusian  dinner
22.00  Discussion on olives and local environment.

day 2
9.30  Short hike to olive groves
- Andalusian campesino breakfast,
- About varietals and harvest
- group work
14.00  Lunch at local restaurant
16.00  guided excursion/hike
20.30  Wine, tapas and conversation in Cútar

day 3
9.00 Breakfast
10.00  Hike to groves, group work
14.00  Lunch at local restaurant
15.30  Tour of medieval Vélez-Málaga
20.30  Wine, tapas and conversation in Cútar

day 4         
9.30  Hike to olive groves
- -Andalusian breakfast
-group work
12.00  Delivery of olives to the press and coop Los Romanes14.00  Lunch at local restaurant, excursion or hike
21.30 To the groves to burn prunings, better than fireworks

day 5
Closing breakfast
Departure to Málaga

The above schdedule is preliminary. For example weather we cannot control, which can mean changes.  All meals included except for those at restaurants, which are always quite reasonable.

Here in Axarquia, in our almost tropical climate, the mango trees that once only graced local gardens have successfully transmuted into cultivars grown in open-air plantations. Spanish mangoes are the only ones in the world that reach the marketplace clad in their own waxen coat  and therefore not washed or treated with edible varnishes or fungicides.

Mangos don't get sweeter than this!  Harvest time: September and October.

Spanish mangoes are discernibly different from others in flavor and aroma because they are harvested almost as soon as they ripen on the plant: as a result, they contain a higher percentage of sugar than any others in the European marketplace. They can reach 20 degrees Brix, compared with the 12 or 14 degrees found in fruits coming into Europe from other sources and harvested before they are ripe. The varieties most commonly grown around here are Osteen, Kent and Keitt, known for their melt-in-the-mouth flesh, citrus aromas and outstanding sweetness. These mangoes’ reddish-purple skins gleam in the sun from first thing in the morning during the harvest months of September and October, embellishing the Vélez-Málaga to Benamargosa stretch of the road through Axarquía, all the way up the hills to laCultura.

You can read more about Spanish mangos at the excellent site 'Food from Spain', from where some of the above info was captured.

Málaga is known for producing sweet wines from the varietals Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel de Alejandría, Muscat of Alexandria, both white wine grapes. This latter belonging to the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera is considered an "ancient vine", and wine experts believe it is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence, originating in ancient Egypt.

However, relatively recently wineries in the province of Málaga have begun producing dry white wines from the Muscat grapes. Traditionally, these grapes were used to make sweet wines, as well as dried to produce fine raisins, delicacies exported to other parts of the world. This dry white wine is called ‘afrutado,’ fruity, to distinguish it from vino blanco seco, which is really a fino or Montillo type of sherry.

Some regions of Málaga also produce red wines on a more limited scale, from Tempranillo, a very typical Spanish red varietal, but also from Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and, to an even lesser degree, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Pinor Noir.

There are four regions in Málaga which produce wine with two Apellations: Denominación de Málaga, mostly sweet wines, and Denominación de Sierras de Málaga producing dry whites as well as reds. The four regions vary, each having its own attributes.

La Axarquía - is the valley just east of the capital, Málaga. This is where laCultura and our pueblo, Cútar, is located, a traditional Muscat producing area with a long history of wine and raisins. Here there are 4 wineries which produce sweet wines but also Muscat fruity, dry white wines. Many families produce wine, but the 4 wineries which hold the two appellations are: Bodegas Dimobe in Moclinejo producing sweet wines, a dry fruity Muscat and a dry red Syrah; Bodegas Jorge Ordonez in Almáchar and Vélez-Málaga, the capital of La Axarquia, produce sweet and dry whites, mostly for high priced export; Bodegas Almijaras in Cómpeta produce very nice Muscat sweet and dry wines; and Bodegas Bentomiz in Sayalonga. The first two wineries are very close to Cútar. The other two are on the opposite, east side, of the valley, but also close.

Montes Area – is the area just north of the city of Málaga bordering La Axarquía. The five wineries that carry the appellation Málaga produce sweet wines: Bodega Antigua Casa de la Guardia is just north-east of Málaga, a few kilometers from Cútar located just outside the village of Olías. They also have an old wine pub in the old town of Málaga. Bodegas Quitapenas is located in the city of Málaga, also with a wine restaurant in the old town, serving wine, fish and shellfish, very pleasant. The other 3 wineries are located just east of the city of Málaga in the Guadalhorce river valley: Bodegas Gomara located in Campanillas, Bodegas Pérez Hildalgo in Álora, and Bodegas Sanchez Rosado in Cártama.

Northern Area – is situated north of the city of Málaga and the coastal mountains of Torcal near Antequera in the southern plains of the Guadalquivir valley, the great river of Andalucía. Here there is the large cooperative, Tierras de Mollina, producing both wine and olive oil. They produce sweet wines, dry fruity whites, but also some reds made from local Syrah grapes. Cortijo la Fuente, also in Mollina, is a family owned winery producing very nice sweet wines, a dry fruity Muscat and an unreleased  2008 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, a full-bodied wine with fruit and spice. Bodegas Málaga Virgen in Fuente de Piedra just north of Mollina produce well known sweet wines, but also a dry fruity Pedro Ximenez white and a Syrah rose. Bodegas and Vineyard de la Capuchina I will review soon. It seems promising.

Mountains of Ronda – is the high valley area west of Málaga with several wineries, few of which existed 15 years ago. Many are run by non-Spaniards and produce expensive wines which I’ve gotten the impression might not be worth the price. This area I’ll expand on in a later article. For the time being enjoy Málaga, east and north.

We'll be happy to take you to the wineries reviewed upon resquest. Since Spanish is the language usually spoken, we can also act as translators should you need it. Please contact us if you want to know more

It’ s hot mid august in Andalusia. This time of the year our elderly neighbors always ask us to go with them down the hill to pick chumbos.

Chumbo is the fruit of the prickly pear cactus that grows among the olive trees on the way down to the rio. They are ripe now, and delicious, but they have to be peeled carefully to remove the small spines on the outer skin before consumption.  It is neither a pear nor a fig, but is a fruit from any one of the 300 varieties of cacti from this species. They appear in a variety of colors - green, yellow, orange, pink, or crimson. Inside, the flesh may be green, yellow, or red, with a melon-like texture. You find them all over the Mediterranean area: Libya, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, southern Spain and France, Italy, Sicily, Struma River in Bulgaria, in southern Portugal and Madeira, Egypt, Greece, Corfu, Cyprus, Malta...

There has been medical interest in the plant. Some studies have shown that the pectin contained in the pulp lowers levels of "bad" cholesterol while leaving "good" cholesterol levels unchanged. Another study found that the fibrous pectin in the fruit may lower diabetics' need for insulin. Both fruit and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that help keep blood sugar stable.  And, they might have a reducing effect on alcohol hangover by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators. Either way this is a nutritious fruit — high in vitamin C, fiber, and much more.

Another interesting aspect to these cactus is the insect that feeds on them. These are the insects (Dactylopius coccus) which are famous for producing cochineal, the natural red dye made by crushing their bodies.

AND THIS IS HOW YOU PEEL THEM:

How does one harvest century old olive trees?
OLIVE OIL in La Axarquía, Málaga - Course: OLIVE OIL production, tradition, food

Now during the summer months the olive oil cooperatives in Los Romanes and Periana are closed for production, open only for sales as long as supply lasts. The olive trees are full of small green jewels ripening in the summer sun. Before the harvest in November, work will begin clearing the ground under the trees, so that olives which fall to the ground can be picked up before netting is placed underneath to catch the olives which fall when branches are hit with sticks or vibrated mechanically. These fresh olives are taken to the cooperative within 24 hrs to be pressed to produce Extra Virgen Olive Oil.

Cútar is in La Axarquía, the fertile costal valley just east of Malaga. Olive oil is said to have been produced here since the time when Phoencians brought olive trees here from the Eastern Mediterranean some 3000 years ago. In the ancient world the olive tree was the source of life. It served to adorn the food of humanity, to alleviate its injuries, to give force to their bodies and light their nights.

However, it was the Romans who definitely filled the Iberian Peninsula with olive trees, and improved cultivation and oil production. The importance of Iberian oil to the Empire was huge. Spanish oil amphorae have been found in all Roman provinces, though most was of course was destined to Rome itself. Mount Testaccio in the city is a testament to the size of the trade. This artificial hill is made up of 40 million amphorae discarded during the first 250 years of the Common Era, most of which are from the Iberian Peninsula. Hadrian even had a coin struck bearing the picture of an olive branch and the inscription "Hispania".

Today Spain has more olive trees and produces more olive oil than any other country in the world - and an oil of the highest quality. In addition, the absolute largest production is here in Andalusía.

In 2009 Spain produced 41.2% of the world’s olive oil. The province of Jaen alone, just north of the province of Málaga, accounts for 20% of the world’s production. There olive cultivation and oil production is a major industry. As far as the eye can see there are thousands of hectares of rolling hills of evenly dispersed rows of olive trees, the majority of which are the varietal picual.

In Cútar, however, cultivation is from century-old trees, some said to have been planted by the Moors. The most common cultivars are verdiales and picudo, still family owned, pressing their olives at local cooperatives and thereby creating an artisan crafted oil, smooth, fresh, sweet and delicious.

 
Here, most all food preparation is connected to olive oil: gazpacho, ajo blanco, vegetables, fish and meat stews, breads and pastries, since olive oil is the only oil used. Olive oil is even used to deep fry fish and squid, very common to Málaga. Oil which is not used within 2 yrs – oil is a fresh product that deteriorates with time - is used to make an excellent natural soap, and to a lesser degree today, as lamp oil.

We are now accepting interest applications for possible workshops in OLIVE OIL production - Tending groves, harvesting, processing, cuisine, soap production and other oil uses.

Possible times for workshops during the harvest, for a maximum of 6 people, would be the month of November, beginning of December, or end of January and the month of February.

Duration between 1 – 5 days

Content of workshops, at a minimum, include worker's breakfast in olive grove, description of olive types, cultivars, harvest process, harvesting, local Axarquia meal, visit to and guided tour of cooperative press with a description of a very natural process of extracting oil, rounded off with an evening of tapas and wine.

Additional days would be filled with workshop in soap production and other oil uses, more fine indigenous culinary delights, as well as other cooperative press visits and/or other local food production sites, goat cheese, honey and wine, and/or historical site tours of the ancient surrounding pueblos. All fixed or agreed upon.

see more or mail us

Salmorejo Recipe
We have tomatoes. Our neighbors have tomatoes. They are all the best tomatoes you can think of. So we make salmorejo.Easy.


Ingredients:

500 g very sun ripe, very red tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1/2 - 1 soup spoon vinegar
4 soup spoons of andalusian virgen olive oil
salt
2 hard boiled eggs and some chopped up jamon serrano to put on top
salt
some stale white bread

Chop the tomatoes up and put them in the food blender with the oil, vinegar, garlic and a little salt. Blend this all together and then  add the stale bread bit by bit. Chill.

Garnish with chopped up hard boiled egg and jamon serrano (I use tuna fish since I don't eat ham)
Serve with a glass of sherry.