Olives

NYONS black olives

The combination of the climate conditions, the soil (the land), the olive variety all result in a singular olive.

To these characteristics is added the savoir-faire acquired over generations of olive growers in the cultivation and preparation of the olives.

The black olive of Nyons is picked at complete maturity, lighly wrinkled by the first frosts and dryness in the air.

At this stage of maturity, the natural bitterness of the olive is considerably reduced and is entirely elimated by  natural and ancient processes: immersion in a 10% salt water solution.

This method requires soaking for a minimum of 6 months so that by the osmosis effect, the salt penetrates into the olive and the bitterness transfers to the salt water.

During this time, the natural colourings are partially extracted: the Nyons olive is therefore the colour of dark chestnut, called “monks habit"

Nyons olives are produced with no chemicals or preservatives, and should therefore be stored in air-tight conditions (vacuum packed, in brine, in oil) or for a shorter period (20-30 days) in a refrigerator.

The first olives in France to be granted Appellation d’Origine Contôlée accreditation

Origins:

In order to be granted Appellation d’Origine Contôlée accreditation, the olives must be gathered within the designated zone, be of the TANCHE variety and meet strict criteria:

Preparation:

At the cooperative, the olives are picked when black and slightly over-ripe, lightly wrinkled by the first frosts of Decemer and January.  They are sorted and graded to identify the Extra (+18mm), No.1 (16-18mm) and olives for oil (- 16mm), then they are put into vats containing a 10% salt water solution (water and sea salt) for 6 months to ensure all bitterness is removed and to allow the natural fermentation of the sugars; they are then preserved in brine.