{"id":25627,"date":"2025-10-02T09:28:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T07:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brac-home.com\/?page_id=25627"},"modified":"2025-10-02T13:10:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T11:10:20","slug":"olive-oil-croatia-brac-production","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brac-home.com\/en\/brac-island-guide-local-tips\/olive-oil-croatia-brac-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Olive oil production"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Secret of Traditional Olive Oil Harvest and Production<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Olive Harvest on the Island of Bra\u010d: A Tradition that Connects Past and Present<\/strong><\/h5>

The island of Bra\u010d is known not only for its beautiful beaches but also for its traditional “maslin\u00e1rstvo” (olive growing and processing), which involves the care of olive trees, their processing, and the subsequent production of olive oil. This tradition is deeply rooted in the history of this beautiful Mediterranean region.<\/p>

Every year, just like for generations past, we have the opportunity to participate in a unique experience \u2013 the annual olive harvest<\/strong> in the picturesque olive groves on the island of Bra\u010d. This harvest always shows us not only the beauty of the olive groves but, most importantly, the traditional procedures<\/strong> that have been used on the island for centuries to produce high-quality olive oil.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Traditional Olive Harvest on the Island of Bra\u010d<\/strong><\/h5>

The island of Bra\u010d is a place where the olive tree is not just an ordinary tree, but a symbol of resilience, longevity, and tradition<\/strong>. This tree has been cultivated on the island for thousands of years and is an inseparable part of the local culture and life.<\/p>

For the olive harvest, we use the traditional manual method<\/strong>. This method is very gentle because it prevents damage to the fruit, which is important for producing quality oil.<\/p>

After the olives are picked, the process of sorting<\/strong> follows, where leaves and branches are separated from the fruit to ensure the purity of the olives. Subsequently, the olives are placed into barrels with water<\/strong>, where they remain for approximately two weeks<\/strong>. This process has a purpose \u2013 the water draws out the natural bitterness from the olives, making the olive oil smoother and allowing it to acquire its unmistakable taste and aroma. After this step, the olives are taken out of the water and left to dry<\/strong> in sacks for about 3 to 4 days until they are ready for further processing at one of the local processing facilities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This method of harvesting and processing is traditional for the island of Bra\u010d<\/strong>, preserved from the past when there were not as many options for quick olive processing. In the past, olives had to wait for processing, and to prevent spoilage, they were placed in barrels or directly into the sea.<\/p>

Today, many people have incorporated modern technology into the harvest and use mechanical harvesters. The process of olive oil production can vary; some locals carry out the olive oil processing within a few hours after the harvest. As the saying goes, a hundred people, a hundred tastes. And that is why the best part of the olive harvest is the tasting<\/strong> of the olive oil. Olive oil from the island of Bra\u010d is known for its intense green color and its spicy, fruity taste<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Journey of the Olive: From Harvest to Liquid Gold in the Mill<\/strong><\/h5>

After harvesting and preparation, it is time to move to the oil mill (uljara)<\/strong>, where the carefully prepared olives are transformed into precious olive oil.<\/p>

  1. Reception and Weighing of the Crop<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

    Upon arrival at the mill, the olives are placed into crates<\/strong>, which are then weighed<\/strong>. This is a crucial step because the weight of the olives makes it possible to calculate the percentage yield<\/strong> at the end\u2014how much oil the entire crop contained.<\/p>

    1. Crushing (Milling)<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

      Subsequently, the olives are crushed<\/strong> to create an olive paste<\/strong>. This process breaks the cell walls in the fruit and releases the oil.<\/p>

      1. Mixing (Malaxation)<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

        The olive paste is then slowly mixed in machines<\/strong> (malaxers) to achieve the correct consistency and temperature. Mixing helps the smaller oil droplets merge into larger ones, which makes it easier to separate the oil from the rest of the paste later on.<\/p>

        1. Separation: Extracting the Oil<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

          The separation of the olive oil from the paste can be done in three ways: 1. Pressing, 2. Centrifugation, 3. Percolation (Dripping)<\/strong>. We utilize the first two methods because they guarantee the highest possible yield<\/strong> (quantity) of oil from the olives.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          Pressing (Pre\u0161anje)<\/strong><\/p>

          The traditional method uses hydraulic pressure:<\/p>