Its round olives have an oil yield of 18 to 24%. They ripen mid-season. If harvested earlier than that, at the end of October, the fruit will still largely be green. This reduces the oil potential by about 40%, but the oil obtained is a very low-acid oil with a very desirable flavour.
The oil colour varies from yellow to greenish-yellow. It has a grassy flavour with bitter aftertones that linger in the throat. It is often blended into other olive oils in Tuscany to balance them.
Even though Moraiolo Olives are what gives Tuscan oils that taste that consumers around the world will pay for, new olive growing countries such as Australia, New Zealand and California aren’t really moving into growing Moraiolo Olives big time. The newer growers don’t like the tree because with the olives clinging firmly to upwards pointing branches, the olives can’t be machine harvested: they have to be harvested by hand.
History Notes
Native to Tuscany.
