Nocellara del Belice, from oil to production

Nocellara del Belice, from oil to production

Nocellara del Belice is an olive from Sicily, more precisely from the western area. The long tradition that characterizes this cultivar dates back to many centuries ago, when Greeks, settled in the Selinunte area in the seventh century BC, already cultivated this olive, transforming these places and the Belice Valley in a lush and rich land.

For a long time, it was considered exclusively for its use as a table olive but later it was discovered its excellent yield also as a cultivar for the production of oil. Nocellara oil is a valuable oil with peculiar organoleptic characteristics appreciated all over the world.

Thanks to its versatility in cooking, besides being used as an olive for oil, it is good in brine, in cooking (such as in the famous Sicilian caponata) as well as raw, as an appetizer or as a condiment.

Processing of Nocellara del Belice

The olives, after being harvested at the beginning of the veraison (that is in slight advance), are sent to the oil mills within 24 hours. After being carefully checked, the processing begins with the defoliation and washing by immersion and sprinkling. It continues with hammer crushing, kneading and centrifugal extraction to separate the two phases (liquid and solid). The result is an extra virgin olive oil, produced with only and exclusively Italian olives of this quality; after passing the required tests, the Nocellara del Belice oil is ready to be bottled and labeled.

Organoleptic Properties

This monocultivar extra virgin olive oil is characterized by a more or less intense green color with strong and balanced bitter and spicy notes, which are perfectly balanced with the fruitiness. There are clear herbaceous aromas, of green tomato and tomato leaf, and artichoke.

Uses in Basso production

This fruit is used in the Basso production to characterize one of the extra virgin oils of the Monocultivar line, the monovarietal range produced with Italian olives only. To learn more about the product, visit the page specifically dedicated to it: Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Nocellara del Belice.