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To: sydnegeorge@hotmail.comSubject: Great Falls Tribune e-Edition ArticleFrom: noreply@newsmemory.comDate: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 20:09:34 +0000
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Great Falls 03/02/2011, Page L02
Arizona growers: ‘Fresh olives give you fresh oil’
By POLLY KOLSTAD For the Tribune
A Detroit auto parts businessman looking for warmer weather and new adventures has found both in the Sonoran Desert.
In 1998, Perry Rea and his wife Brenda discussed buying a small farm, planting some olive trees and starting a business.
The result is a grove of 2,500 olive trees in Queen Creek, Ariz., southeast of Phoenix.
“I knew nothing about olives,” Rea admitted, but he was inspired by his parents who were born in Italy and loved cooking and growing.
The young couple bought 100 acres at the base of the San Tan Mountains, planted an olive grove, labored and waited.
Five years later, 800 trees matured and produced their first harvest in 2004. The Reas run the Queen Creek Olive Mill, the only olive oil-producing company in Arizona.
Rea is the master blender while Brenda makes olive oil body products in her kitchen . Her creams and lotions now are available commercially.
One of the couple’s trees produces between 50 and 200 pounds of olives. One ton of olives will yield 40 to 60 gallons of olive oil.
Their olives are pressed within 24 hours of harvest.
“Fresh olives give you fresh oil,” Rea explained.
In Arizona, olive trees blossom in mid-April. Pollinator trees planted throughout the orchard pollinate the olive blossoms, and by May, olives have formed and grow throughout the summer. Because of Arizona’s warm climate, they are not bothered by the olive fly or olive tree molds and there is no need for pesticides.
The fruit is harvested in the fall by gently raking the olives from the trees. Then, stems, twigs, leaves and olives are removed with a defoliator. A hammer mill grinds the olives, crushing the pits, seeds and flesh into a coarse paste. The pit and the seed of the olive add distinctive characteristics to the oil.
The paste is blended slowly in a large mixer in a process called malaxation, which allows the small oil droplets to combine and form into bigger ones.
Next, a centrifugal decanter spins the olive paste at a high rate of speed, separating the heavier flesh, pits and most of the water from the oil.
At this point, signature oils are created through a blending process by the master blender. The oil is then transferred to an oxygen-free stainless steel storage decanter.
In the blending process, Rea, the master blender, puts together different flavors including grassy, peppery, fruity, bitter or buttery from his varietal trees to create his signature style of pure oils. Citrus, garlic, vanilla and chocolate flavors are added to his infused oils. Their newest infused oil is the chocolate, which can be drizzled over ice cream or added to make double chocolate cupcakes.Besides extra virgin olive oil, Queen Creek Olive Mill processes and bottles many varieties of olives, including garlic/Vermouth; feta/cheese stuffed; parmesan/stuffed jalapeno; and ginger wasabi.
Their products are available online at www.queencreekolivemill. com or by calling 480-888-9290.
.POLLY KOLSTEAD PHOTOS
ABOVE: The Queen Creek Olive Orchard in Arizona.
LEFT: Perry and Brenda Rea, owners of the olive orchard.
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About Me
- Polly Kolstad
- Great Falls, Montana, United States
- Polly Kolstad’s writing career was jump started in the 1980s when she invented and marketed the board game, “Quizine.” For the last thirteen years, she has written freelance for the Great Falls Tribune, a Gannett newspaper. She covers a variety of subjects including: fitness, food, travel, and human interest stories. For three years, she wrote the weekly column, “Making a Difference.” She has also written for a variety of magazines.