News from il Fustino oils & vinegars

In This Issue

EpicureSB

Recipes

Events

Question
Are il Fustino products available at other locations?

Answer
Yes. We sell our products at Tre Anelli in Los Olivos, at the Santa Barbara Winery in Santa Barbara and at Barrel 27 in Paso Robles. More locations coming soon!

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October 2010 Newsletter

Greetings!

HARVEST IS UPON US!

Literally just returned from Santa Ynez and Santa Rita Valleys where we witnessed, first hand, the beginnings of harvest. Wow, what a glorious day.

Nothing gets more discussion among olive growers than when to pick. It can make all the difference as far as yield, organoleptic characteristics, and color.

Just like grapes, olive maturation depends on variety, temperature, sunlight, and irrigation. A hot fall can cause fruit to ripen quickly, resulting in a narrow window for optimum picking. A cool fall may result in green fruit hanging on the tree well into winter. Some farmers are forced to pick greener fruit than they want to hedge against frost damage or a big storm. Some varietals will ripen faster than others, and olives may mature later in some parts of the orchard than in others.

This makes the decision on when to pick potentially complicated. Good planning is still essential to make sure the picking crew and equipment are ready when needed, and milling capacity is scheduled so that the olives don't have to wait after being harvested. Olives are typically pressed within 24 hours of picking.

MATURITY STAGES (Indulge us, this is a question we get all the time.)
Green (Immature) Fruit
Immature olives are green and quite firm. They produce oil that is bitter and grassy with unripe and vegetative characteristics. These oils are high in polyphenols (anti-oxidants) and other flavor components. As a result, they are quite bitter and pungent. The chlorophyll content is high so the oils are often quite green. It is more difficult to extract oil from unripe olives because the cells are not easily ruptured.

Veraison
As the olive fruit matures from green to yellow-green, it starts to soften and then the skin turns red-purple in color. This is called veraison. The olives still have a high polyphenol content at this stage, and are starting to develop some ripe-fruity characteristics. Oils produced from fruit harvested at this stage have some bitterness and some pungency. The olives are often considered to be at their peak for olive oil production.

Black (Mature) Fruit
As the fruit matures further, the skin turns from purple to black (although some varieties never turn completely black), and the flesh darkens all the way to the pit. At this stage, the polyphenol and the chlorophyll contents decline. Oils produced from late harvest fruit tend to be more golden in color, less bitter, and are less pungent. They are often described as sweet oils. The oil yield is high.

EFFECT OF OLIVE FRUIT MATURITY ON VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OIL
Given the factors described above, the best quality oils come from olives matured to at least the red-ripe stage. Fully mature, ripe fruit yield sweeter oils with no bitterness and pungency, but during harvest, they are soft and easily damaged. Immature olives that are green or straw color are sometimes processed because of the unique flavor they impart to the oil.

There are many choices to be made depending on the desired type of oil flavor, its healthy components, and its color. Later harvest usually yields a better percentage of oil per ton of fruit, so growers are often interested in harvesting as late as possible to augment oil quantity.

Source: Louise Ferguson and G. Steven Sibbett: Olive Production Manual, University of California.

New Products

We are bringing in a slew of new products; too many to list in one newsletter. But we do want to make mention of two very special new vinegars that have arrived and look like they will be challengers for our most popular.

Passion Fruit Balsamic

Passion Fruit nectar is infused with aged balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy to bring you this delightful condiment. Imagine this drizzled over a fruit salad, lemon sherbert, marscapone, or blended with one of our flavored olive oils over peppery greens for a wild salad dressing that people will not forget.

Buy it now

Bordeaux Cherry Balsamic

Bordeaux cherry essence and aged balsamic vinegar are blended together to make this divine combination. This is fantastic as a glaze with Lamb, Pork or Beef. Try it drizzled over white fish, citrus or melon.

Buy it now

EpicureSB

We would like to invite you to either of two events in October showcasing fresh pasta making, olive oils and vinegars from il Fustino and wine tasting. Together with wines from Carina Cellars in Los Olivos, these two events are a part of EpicureSB, a month-long showcase of food and wine from the Santa Barbara area.

Chef John Fernadez (who has taught several of our cooking classes) will be conducting pasta-making classes. You will have the chance to sample several varieties of pasta dishes, many of which John learned during his stay in Italy. And John will be finishing with one of his favorite main dishes: Porchetta, which is a delectable roast pork from Central Italy. These offerings will be paired with some wonderful wines from Carina Cellars, and il Fustino's freshest product offerings. You will be treated to a most unique and delectable culinary experience.

You'll need to reserve your space for these events, RSVP to Carolyn Turner of Carina Cellars - 805 252 0860 or email carolyn@carinacellars.com

October 6, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Red's Wine Bar, 211 Helena Avenue, Santa Barbara.
October 21, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Hayward Design Center, 606 Olive Street, Santa Barbara.

The admission fee is $40 per person. These are sure to be one of the best values of the EpicureSB events, and spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve yours soon.

Cooking Classes

Nothing equals the learning experience of a real cooking class. In class you have the opportunity to use your five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. You have the opportunity to interact with the instructor and ask questions to help you better understand the concepts and techniques. You learn new dishes, make new friends, and take home new skills and ideas to make cooking at home and entertaining more enjoyable. In addition to all of these practical reasons, the most important reason of all is its fun!

October 14, 2010, 7:00PM Chef James image