Seasoned pitted green olives

Seasoned pitted green olives Nocellara del Belice.

Nocellara del Belice olives from Sicily, in particular from the Valle del Belice.

The Nocellara del Belice is a variety that dominates the market of excellent products: from olives to extra virgin olive oil, this cultivar best expresses the character of its land of origin, Sicily.

Organoleptic characteristics

It is a particularly large and tasty olive, which is produced from the homonymous cultivar in the Belice Valley. Nocellara del Belice PDO is characterized by its large size, each fruit weighs 5-7 g. It has a rounded shape and is green or black. The green type, when it reaches maturity, becomes a vinous red colour. The pulp is firm and crunchy, the taste slightly bitter. Nocellara del Belice is one of the best Italian cultivars for table olives, but it also produces an extra virgin olive oil with excellent organoleptic qualities.

Origins

Renowned for the production of table olives, Nocellara del Belice owes its name to the shape of the fruit, spherical, and to the area of ​​origin: Valle del Belice (Sicily, Province of Trapani). The Nocellara del Belice is a Sicilian cultivar of great value that represents one of the most loved native varieties of the region. This variety has been found in Sicily for several centuries. The first crops date back to the Magna Graecia era; in fact, it was the Greek colony of Selinunte who introduced it into the area during the 7th century BC. This variety found wide diffusion in the province of Trapani, especially starting from 1600. Nocellara del Belice is produced from the homonymous cultivar in the Belice Valley mainly in the territory between Santa Margherita di Belice, Montevago, Castelvetrano, Santa Ninfa, Gibellina, Campobello di Mazara, Poggioreale and Salaparuta.

Production method

The harvest is done by hand through "brucatura", generally between October and November. Transport takes place in mesh boxes or racks where the fruits are arranged in layers not exceeding 20 cm. The processing phases are started no later than 24 hours after the harvest. The green olives undergo a transformation process with the use of natural iridescent ("natural", only brine is used) and subsequently transformed into the types: Whole in Brine, Crushed, Pitted in Brine, Sliced, Incisa and Seasoned.