Nocellara Olives is an olive cultivar from Valle del Belice, an area in the south-west of the Sicily region. It is an important cultivar that produces a dual purpose olive, grown both for olive oil and for the table. Let’s discover the importance of the Nocellara olive oil on the table of Italians!
Nocellara del Belice olive oil
The olive cultivar known around the world as Nocellara del Belice, is used to produce “Valle del Belice” extra virgin olive oil, made with a minimum of 70% Nocellara del Belice olives.
When used for edible reasons, they take their name from the city of Castelvetrano: these are large and green olives with a mild, buttery flavour. The Castelvetrano olives have a round shape and an intense green colour. They have also a soft and dense pulp that gives them a fruity and very delicate taste.
The Nocellara del Belice olives have also two PDO trademarks: both Valle del Belice PDO olive oil and Nocellara del Belice PDO olives .
Food Properties
Traditionally, Nocellara olives are harvested manually, because, especially for edible olives, they must ensure the highest quality.
This particular Sicilian olive is rich in dietary fibres, so is highly digestible. It also helps to fight cellular aging prevent various diseases. Moreover, this type of olive guarantees a good supply of minerals, in percentages even higher than those of many vegetables. The amount of calcium and magnesium in edible olives is comparable to the one we can find in breast milk.
The Nocellara del Belice olives are harvested by hand between September and October and then are processed and stored the same day of the harvest to maintain maximum quality. They are first sorted and then washed and calibrated. Only at the end they are cut, crushed or pitted and then preserved.
Concerning Valle del Belice extra virgin oil, its main characteristics are: intense green colour, freshly picked fruity olive aroma, herbaceous tone, hints of tomato and artichoke, almond aftertaste with a bitter and spicy sensation. Maximum acidity of 0.70% and a density of average value.
