“THE ANNUAL OLIVE HARVEST TAKES PLACE IN THE FALL OF EACH YEAR. THE START DATE OF THE HARVEST IS AN ISSUE OF MUCH DEBATE BASED ON MANY FACTORS SUCH AS RAINFALL, THE WEATHER TO COME, AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE OLIVES. THE START DATE OF HARVEST AFFECTS THE TASTE, COLOR, AND YIELD OF THE OLIIVE OIL. ”

“ONCE THE HARVEST DATE IS DECIDED ON WE GATHER IN THE EARLY MORNING AT OUR FAMILY’S 200-YEAR OLD OLIVE GROVES IN THE NORTH OF LEBANON AND CAREFULLY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PICKING OUR OLIVES BY HAND, ONE-BY-ONE. IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR.”

“A TARP IS SET UP UNDER THE OLIVE TREES TO CATCH ANY OLIVES THAT MAY FALL WHILE PICKING FROM LADDERS HIGH ABOVE. PICKING STARTS AT SUNRISE TO ESCAPE THE INTENSE MEDITERRANEAN HEAT THAT COMES LATER IN THE DAY. THE HEAT IMPACTS BOTH THE PICKERS AND THE OLIVES. ”

“WE TEDIOUSLY SORT THROUGH THE HARVESTED OLIVES AGAIN AND AGAIN, REMOVING TWIGS, LEAVES AND SETTING ASIDE BRUISED OLIVES TO USE IN OUR BAAL OLIVE OIL SOAP. OLIVES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE FRUIT FLY ARE COMPOSTED.”

“ MERE HOURS AFTER THE OLIVES ARE PICKED, WE TRANSPORT THEM TO OUR LOCAL OLIVE PRESS TO BE IMMEDIATELY PRESSED. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO PRESS THE OLIVES WITHIN HOURS OF HARVEST TO ENSURE THAT THE OLIVE OIL IS EXTRA VIRGIN AND OF THE FRESHEST AND HIGHEST QUALITY. PRESSING THE OLIVES SHORTLY AFTER HARVEST MINIMIZIES THE OXIDATION OF THE OLIVE OIL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT DECREASES THE ACIDITY LEVELS OF THE OLIVE OIL, KEEPING LEVELS OF GOOD POLYPHENOLS (ANTI-OXIDANTS) HIGH. ”

“THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED EACH DAY UNTIL ALL OUR GROVES ARE HARVESTED.”