The history of the olive dates back thousands of years, with the taste of the olive as old as that of cold water. Olive trees can live for thousands of years and, as with the harvesting process, enjoy a laid-back, Mediterranean pace when it comes to bearing fruit.
Did you know, for example, that olive trees don’t produce any fruit until they have been growing for at least seven years?
Only after seven years do the trees gradually mature and begin producing olives more frequently, and it’s not until they reach between 35 and 150 years old that full maturity and maximum olive production is achieved.
“The taste of the olive is as old as that of cold water”
So, next time you add black olives to your pizza, enjoy delicious olive loaf, or drop an olive in your Martini, think about the time it took for that tasty morsel to get there!
Even 150 year old olive trees can maintain their peak productivity levels for centuries, with some trees having been documented as living for thousands of years.
The reason for this is the robust nature of the olive tree. They are capable of withstanding extremes of hot and cold, from around forty degrees centigrade down to as low as six, as
well as drought during the summer.
This is why the Mediterranean, with its hot, dry summers and wet winters, is believed to produce the best olives.
