The Oil Press

Hills of olive groves

We live in an area which produces excellent Extra virgin olive oil. So the locals say. But then they would, wouldn't they. They say it's the best in Greece. 

View from the Olive Press 

Farm trucks and tractors roll up to the oil press loaded with their sacks of family olives. 

They back up to the presser when their turn comes, watch the sacks being emptied and make sure all their olives go up the conveyor belt.

The olives are cleared of leaves and twigs and washed before continuing on their journey to be pressed. Everything is done by  machine. It's all shiny stainless steel with control panels and flashing red lights. 
 

The olive men sit around for hours making sure their olives are not mixed with others and waiting for the oil to be pumped out into these 5 litre bottles or 16 litre tins. 

Meantime they chew the fat and have a few tots of raki. 

Julie tests this year's vintage

Looks really thick and green. You wouldn't get me drinking the stuff. It's very strong and spicy

She's a clever lass and brought along a bag of bread.  I didn't mind trying a couple of pieces of bread dipped in the oil.  That's more like it

Danelle and Julie 

They came to Poros to see the olive operation and almost missed out because of the weather. Finally it stopped raining and they got to visit 3 local olive oil 'factories' 

The first oil starts flowing

Every drop of oil carries the taste of Poros....oil harvested from olive trees with their roots deep in ancient soil

Julie and Georgios the Mayor of Poros 

His family owns and runs this press

New Zealanders

Our local oil is going to appear one day on supermarket shelves in these bottles

Spit spit spit

End of chapter 2