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The Nebrodi Massif is the great green heart of Sicily. In particular, the areas near Castell’Umberto and Sinagra are the ideal environment for a rare and ancient variety of Sicilian tiny olive trees. About 90% of the local olive groves, especially on the higher hills, feature this variety, and many plants are over a hundred years old and still productive.

The tiny olive is a rustic cultivar, more resistant to climatic adversities than the variety from Sant’Agata, the “ogliarola” from Messina or the “verdello” grown at lower altitudes.
The tiny variety features medium-sized fruits and early ripening, with excellent nutritional qualities: these small olives are rich in ortho-phenols – which can reduce the risk of cell cancer – and vitamin E.

According to the actual ripeness and the altitude, the harvest is done manually from mid-October to mid-December. Then, the trees are shaken with a pole, collecting the falling olives with special nets under the plants – by doing so, the fruits never touch the ground.

Tiny olives are also good table olives preserved in various ways: in tins, brined with a mixture of water and sea salt, added with aromatic herbs from the Nebrodi flora, pressed in layers, as well as in wooden ceramic containers with salt and aromatic herbs.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)