Olive oil harvest 2021

May to early June is one of the busiest times of the year at Mount Zero Olives, it’s olive harvesting time. So by mid-June olive oil production is in full swing, and you can find our first new season olive oil has been pressed, extracted, bottled and ready to go. 

We’re thrilled to announce our 2021 organic olive oil is ready for you to purchase to start enjoying fresh from our farm to your table.

Before we jump into what flavour sensations you can expect from the new olive oil harvest range we’re going to give some background on olive harvesting seasons and discuss the reasons you should get your hands on some new season olive oil ASAP.

Australian olive harvesting seasons

According to the guide to harvesting by the Australian Olive Association (AOA), olives take six to seven months to grow, which is a long time compared to other stone fruits, so it’s vital you know when is the optimum time to harvest.

The AOA say there are several considerations to be made to determine when is best to harvest, including:

• The olives must have the maximum weight of oil.
• The quality of the oil must be optimal.
• Fruit and olive tree damage must be minimal.
• Next year’s crop must not be affected.
• Harvesting must be as cheap as possible.

The AOA states that the time when olives reach the maximum amount of oil that is of the highest quality varies from region to region because of environmental conditions and different olive variety factors. So the optimal harvest time in Australia the AOA suggests must be determined by studying the local environment, not based on the external and internal colour of the fruit.

The AOA report says in general, olive harvesting tends to start in Queensland in mid-March and finishes in southern Victoria at the end of June.

After harvesting olives for over two decades, the Seymour family have an unparalleled understanding of their Grampians based Mount Zero olive grove. They have finessed the perfect harvesting time season after season to maximise flavour and quality, without sacrificing the environment using sustainable and ethical farming practices. 

Why stock up on new season olive oil?

Similar to most other fresh foods, olive oil is at its tastiest and most nutritious (hello olive oil health benefits) when consumed fresh and as soon after the latest harvest as possible. Think of it as the opposite of a fine wine, where olive oil loses its complexity of flavour over time. So you don’t want to wait too long to try Mount Zero Olives’ latest harvest.

All Mount Zero olive oil is cold-pressed within hours of the harvest to maintain premium quality and taste. Our new season olive oil offers the best layers of flavour (we’ll get to the sublime tasting notes in just a second!) and you’ll find you can really taste the difference between flavours of our various olive oil varieties.

New season olive oils offer you various nuances of flavour – is that a hint of pear, almond or maybe fresh cut grass? Our new season olive oils will introduce crisp, exciting and subtle flavours to your meals. We encourage you to try it for yourself and taste the difference.   

Mount Zero Olives 2021 new season olive oil range

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 olive oil range along with some handy tasting notes to help you decide which delicious oil you want to pop the lid off first to enhance your home cooking.

Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

An olive variety with Spanish origins, the Arbequina has a fresh, slightly sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and freshly cut grass. A delicate oil with a buttery texture and well-balanced bitterness and pepperiness.

Recommended uses Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Delicate dressings
• Homemade hummus
• Sweet or savoury baking applications
• To confit your favourite protein or vegetables

Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

The chef’s favourite all-rounder, Picual is a fruit-driven oil with a fantastic peppery finish. Flavours of fresh, green tomato and fig, with mild bitterness and a lasting peppery finish.

Recommended uses for Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Fabulous with fresh tomatoes, think bruschetta or in a tomato basil salad
• Pair with fish or seafood
• Gluten-free potato lahoh bread
• Drizzle over grilled vegetables

frantoio extra virgin olive oil

 

Our Frantoio comes from an Italian olive variety known for its sweet, fruity aroma with a hint of citrus. This is a medium-style oil that has notes of green apple, walnut and fresh herbs. Smooth and creamy with a lovely peppery finish. 

Recommended uses for Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Frying 
• Marinades 
• Roasting veggies 
• Homemade pesto

frantoio extra virgin olive oil recipes

Kim Sangsoo’s recipe for potato bread is warming, salty and comforting served with a delicious olive oil-based macadamia cream.

• Potato bread
• Spaghettoni alla puttanesca
• Pickled red cabbage (and twice-cooked duck leg)
• Macadamia tart

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pressed from organic Frantoio and Manzanilla Olives, this oil is the most robust in our 2021 range. A delicate aroma of red apple gives way to a long-lasting palate, with hints of bitter almond and peppery rocket. Serve at room temperature to ensure maximum health and flavour benefits.

Recommended uses for Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 

• Paired with creamy cheeses (like burrata or buffalo mozzarella)
• Nourishing soups
• Simply pair freshly baked sourdough and Pink Lake salt

organic extra virgin olive oil recipes

 

Karen Chau’s fragrant and mouth-watering roasted pumpkin recipe.

Roasted pumpkin soup

Fish tacos

Olive oil and polenta cake

 

Yuzu Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This limited release olive oil is from a collaboration with Mountain Yuzu, specialty citrus growers in North-East Victoria. Whole yuzu fruit and olives are cold-pressed together resulting in an incredibly aromatic, zesty and unique flavoured oil.

Recommended uses for Yuzu Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Pair with raw fish or ceviche
• Dress Japanese-style salads
• A fresh twist to a flavour-packed citrus-choc olive oil cake recipe

Lemon, Mandarin & Lime Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Our citrus trio consists of lemon, mandarin and lime olive oils that are produced in the traditional method – Agrumato – by pressing whole citrus fruits and whole Frantoio olives together. This method ensures the flavour and aroma of the fruits are extracted to create a fresh citrus olive oil with plenty of zesty zing. 

Recommended uses for Lemon, Mandarin & Lime Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Fresh seafood 
• Grilled meats
• Breaky egg dishes 
• Sweet baking
• Or simply pour over vanilla ice cream – yum! 

lemon, lime & mandarin pressed extra virgin olive oil recipes

 

Butcher (and baker!) Mel Collier shares her decadent gluten-free mandarin extra virgin olive oil chocolate cake with candied mandarin. 

• Mandarin chocolate cake
• Grilled octopus
• Macadamia and quinoa crusted barramundi

rosemary pressed extra virgin olive oil (agrumato)

 

Grampians grown rosemary is combined in the press with freshly picked Frantoio olives. These two ingredients together produce an intensely aromatic extra virgin olive oil.

Recommended uses for Rosemary Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Roast lamb
• Roast vegetables
• Folded through mashed potato 

rosemary pressed extra virgin olive oil recipes

 

 

• Grilled tomatoes
• Creamy mashed potato

Smoked Olive Oil

 

Collaboratively sourced Paperbark strips from Malaleuca, from Indigenous Communities in the Northern Territory, come together with our Frantoio Oil. The result is a fragrant oil that brings the scent of fire cooking to your kitchen. This smoked oil is the perfect shortcut to achieving that delicious smoky and woody flavours in your food sans the long cooking time for smoking food.

Recommended uses for Smoked Olive Oil:

• Homemade dips – like Baba ghanoush and hummus
• Fish and meats

smoked olive oil recipes

 

“Roasting the carrots with smokey olive oil fills the kitchen with the aroma of cooking over a campfire fueled by paperbark.” – Cle Ann, Food Stylist.

• Smoky carrots and walnut puree – delish!
• Smoked dark chocolate mousse

We hope this olive oil 2021 guide has helped you learn a bit more about the fantastic flavours and advantages of our latest harvest. 

Feeling inspired to try our new season olive oil for yourself? Shop Mount Zero Olives range of new season olive oils here and take a look at our favourite olive oil recipes to kick-start your love affair with the spoils of the new season.