Queen Creek Olive Mill

On February 9th we drove to Queen Creek, AZ to observe a working olive mill.  The Queen Creek Olive Mill is a small family owned company that is experimenting with growing olives in Arizona, then using those olives to produce a high quality extra virgin olive oil.  The grove of approximately 2000 trees is an assortment of varieties including Classic Tuscany (Lechino, Frantoio, Pendolino, and Grappolo); the Mission Olive; Spanish Manzanillo, Sevillano, and Arbequina; Italian Baroni; California Lucca; and the Greek Kalamata.
   The olive trees are drip irrigated; no pesticides or mold inhibitors are needed due to this region's growing conditions.  Trees grow buds in March and blossom mid-April.  By May the olives are formed on the tree; they are allowed to grow through the summer.  Harvest is in the fall.
   Olives are harvested by hand using special rakes to remove the fruit from the trees.  After harvest, the olives are washed with fresh water and ground into a coarse paste using a hammer mill.   The paste is slowly mixed to allow small oil drops to stick together and form larger ones.  A centrifugal decanter is then used to separate the oil.  The oils are stored in large stainless steel vats until they can be blended and bottled.
   At the end of the tour we were given samples of different blends, and encouraged to shop in their market for bottles to enjoy at home.