THE RICH GLEN EARLY HARVEST OLIVE OIL CHANGES EACH YEAR WITH THE SEASONS AND THE 2025 VINTAGE IS A UNIQUE AND ROBUST MUST-TRY OLIVE OIL EXPERIENCE FOR ANY ARDENT FOODIE.
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Managing director Daimien Vodusek explains the distinctive early harvest process.
“Generally, harvest commences around the first of May, give or take a week or two, but it is always around then, when you start to harvest,” he said.
“With our early harvest, we probably go four or five weeks before that, which gives us a lot more polyphenols in the olive oil because the fruit is under ripe.
“The olive oil comes out with so much chlorophyll because the fruit is so green, almost to the point each season is different.
“When you are going so early, you are compromising the volume of yield, but you are getting a lot more pungency and polyphenols.”
Polyphenols are a group of compounds found in extra virgin olive oil which act as antioxidants, increasing the shelf life and contributing to the characteristics, especially bitterness and pungency.
While the early harvest yields less oil, it delivers olive oil of superior quality, which at Rich Glen, is allowed to settle naturally for a couple of weeks before bottling.
“It will still have suspended solids and suspended particles because it is unfiltered, and that is why you capture all the good antioxidants and polyphenols,” Daimien said.
If you like to partake in the benefits of an early harvest olive oil, Daimien recommends a good teaspoon each morning.
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For those who take their olive oil with food, his suggestions include drizzled over fresh tomatoes, straight onto cooked fresh pasta, sprinkled over steak, or it is great with potatoes as it brings out the flavour.
“The best way to taste it is a little bowl of olive oil, bread and a little bit of salt,” Daimien said.
“It is nice if you like to appreciate the oil, but it complements all foods, like fish or plain pasta with egg, then pour over olive oil, you don’t have to fancy it up because the olive oil is the dressing.”
Early harvest olive oil is not the only product Rich Glen grows and produces on their mixed farm at Yarrawonga, following best practice and sustainable farming principles.
Rich Glen has a full range of products, including oils, dressings, rubs, salts, jams, hampers, kitchenware, skin and body care, candles, and collaborations with other regional farmers, available online and at their three retail shops.
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