The Essence of Authenticity
If we want to truly enjoy what nature and tradition have perfected, we must recognize that nature sets the rules. This should be understood by anyone who wants true authenticity in a product. This is the essence of the Tierra Callada philosophy in our Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) elaboration: a process which strives for excellence and honesty every step of the way.
Raw material
At Tierra Callada we want to give people the experience of enjoying an extra virgin olive oil that is what it claims to be. An EVOO that is truly excellent, made carefully, and that should be savoured.
Picual and Arbequina olives, early harvest
Our early harvest Spanish EVOO is made from Picual and Arbequina olives grown in the region of Las Villas in the very heart of Jaén (Andalusia).
Las Villas is located in the heart of Jaen, a province of Spain responsible for the 25% of the world´s production of olive oil. This epicenter of the olive culture also stands out for having two jewels of the Andalusian Renaissance: the cities of Ubeda and Baeza, declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Tierra Callada EVOO comes from the small town of Mogón, in the foothill of Sierra de las Villas. |  |
Olives are harvested before the ripeness and on the tree, exactly when their flavor is most powerful and the fruitiness aromas are at a peak. This ensures that Tierra Callada captures the perfect balance of flavours most faithful to olives.
This is the starting point: the olives harvested at the moment of perfect ripeness. Our Temprano EVOO comes from olives completely green collected the last days of October. Envero EVOO and Arbequina EVOO from fruits picked up during the month of November, when the olives start to change their color. Then there is the olive oil extraction: a careful and laborious process, exacting in detail. Our techniques blend the most modern technology with the savoir fair of another age, a time when quality was more valued than speed. All Tierra Callada products use premium extra virgin olive oil, and are presented in different formats according to preference and needs. The same premium character in different formats. |  |
Elaboration
All olives, provided they are healthy and harvested at the right time, have the potential to become excellent olive oil. At Tierra Callada our commitment is to capitalize on that original virtue. Ensuring a perfect transition from fruit to juice.
Harvesting at the right time
Every year nature imposes its own timings that determine when the olives are ready to be harvested. We usually collect late October for Temprano EVOO and November for Envero EVOO and Arbequina EVOO.
| Keys- The fruit is harvested before the olives are black. Bright green olives to elaborate Temprano EVOO, and olives turning dark for Envero EVOO and Arbequina EVOO. - The olives are always picked from the tree, never taken from the ground, minimizing the damage to the fruit, which must retain its full integrity before it arrives at the mill. - Quick and careful transportation of the fruit to the factory. |
Elaboration
Within 24 hours of harvest, the olives are turned into oil at the mill, where timing and temperature are fundamental.
| Time and temperatures- Crushing: oil is attached to the plant tissue in the fruit. In order to liberate the oil drops contained in these tissues the olive has to be milled. Once ground, the olives become a green paste. - Malaxation: blades knead the paste into the malaxer helping the small droplets of the oil formed during the milling to form larger drops. Mixing the paste for a short time, using low temperatures and low speed is a must if the olive oil is to retain all of its flavor, aromas and properties. - Centrifugation: due to their different densities, the oil is separated from the rest of the olive (water and pomace) using a centrifuge. This olive oil, still murky, is ready to be stored. n of the fruit to the factory. |
Storage
The juice now needs to rest at the right temperature.
| Resting and settling- The olive juice is first stored in decanters, where time and gravity do their work. The sediment settles at the bottom of the decanter and the oil is transferred to another tank. - Once the olive oil is decanted, it is stored in stainless steel tanks with nitrogen atmosphere (in order to prevent oxidation) in a cellar at a temperature between 64 and 68 ºF (18 and 20° C), where it can rest until it is bottled. |
Bottled
Bottling is last step before Tierra Callada extra virgin olive oil reaches your table and is one we handle very carefully.
| Quality is the Priority-The olive oil is filtered to preserve its integrity, preventing any sediment still present in the olive oil from fermenting, thus ensuring the longevity of the oil. - We try to delay the bottling process as long as we can because we know that the olive oil is best preserved in the tanks, safe from heat and light. - We use bottles and containers that guarantee the best possible longevity for Tierra Callada extra virgin olive oil. We use opaque bottles and a bag in box format for larger volumes, protecting the oil from its greatest enemies: light and oxygen. |
