Early August Harvest
Fruity & Full-Bodied
Picked at the beginning of the season, while the olives are intensely green. Bold and herbaceous, with pronounced bitterness and a long, peppery finish. Ideal for olive oil shots, drizzling, and finishing.
AUGUST EARLY HARVEST · EARLY-SEASON GREEN OLIVES
Early Harvest Olive Oil: Lower Yield. More Character.
Early harvest extra virgin olive oil begins with green olives picked before full ripeness. At Juicy Olive, harvesting starts in August. Because these early-season olives yield less oil, producing the same amount of EVOO can require 2–3 times more olives. This early harvest helps create the vivid green character, herbaceous aroma, and naturally high polyphenol levels we seek.
USDA OrganicEU OrganicECOCERTTurkish Organic
THE OLIVE SEASON
What is early harvest olive oil?
The olive harvest is a journey through the season. Early in the season, olives are green, firm and naturally rich in polyphenols. As the season progresses, the fruit ripens—gradually changing from green to purple and darker shades—while its oil content increases.
This creates an important choice for olive oil producers. Harvest earlier, when the olives yield less oil but generally contain more polyphenols and produce a greener, more intense character—or wait for the fruit to mature and produce considerably more oil with a softer, milder profile.
At Juicy Olive, we choose to harvest exceptionally early, beginning in August, while our olives are still green. The yield is much lower, but it gives us the distinctive character and naturally high polyphenol levels we are looking for.
The simple rule:
Riper olives → higher oil yield
Earlier green olives → lower yield, higher polyphenol potential and more intense character.
Early harvest can require 2–3 times more olives to produce the same amount of extra virgin olive oil.
SEASONAL TASTE & AROMA SPECTRUM
How Does Harvest Timing Change Olive Oil Taste?
Harvest timing strongly influences aroma, bitterness, pepperiness and overall intensity. Earlier-harvest oils tend to show greener, more herbaceous characteristics, while oils from riper fruit generally become softer, rounder and milder. At Juicy Olive, these seasonal differences shape our three harvest profiles.
Mid-August Harvest
Mild & Flavorous
Picked as the olives begin to mature, creating a fresh and balanced profile. Green tomato, fresh-cut grass and artichoke notes lead to a clean, rounded peppery finish. Ideal for salads and fresh dishes.
Early September Harvest
Relish & Smooth
Picked later in our early-harvest season for a softer, more delicate profile. Silky and rounded, with gentle fruitiness, subtle pineapple notes and a clean finish. Ideal for marinades, sauces, baking and roasting.
HARVEST ECONOMICS
Why Does Early Harvest Olive Oil Cost More?
Green olives are harvested before they reach their maximum oil yield. Producing the same amount of extra virgin olive oil can therefore require 2–3 times more olives, together with more harvesting, sorting and handling.
2–3× MORE
More Olives per Litre
Early-season green olives yield less oil, so considerably more olives are needed for every litre produced
2–3× MORE
More Work per Litre
Because more olives are needed per litre, early harvest requires more picking, sorting, transport and pressing for the same volume of oil.
Within 2 Hours of Harvest
A Tighter Production Window
The fruit must be handled quickly and cold pressed within 2 hours, requiring carefully coordinated, small-batch production.
At Juicy Olive,
We accept a lower yield to create the greener aromas, naturally high polyphenol levels and pronounced character we seek.
Lower Yield. A Deliberate Choice.
Late Harvest - 4-5 kg Olive needs for 1 Liter EVOO
Juicy Olive - 10-15 kg Olive needs for 1 Liter
The exact yield varies by olive variety, fruit maturity, moisture, crop year and pressing conditions.OLIVE RIPENESS & OIL CHARACTER
Why Early Harvest Matters
How harvest timing shapes the polyphenols, aroma, and sensory intensity of extra virgin olive oil.
NATURALLY HIGH POLYPHENOLS
Harvested for Intensity
Olives harvested earlier in the season generally have higher polyphenol potential, although levels vary by cultivar and crop year. Our Fruity & Full-Bodied profile is independently lab tested at 840 mg/kg.
GREEN COLOR & AROMA
Green Character, Explained
Chlorophyll contributes to the oil’s green color, while its fresh, herbaceous aromas come from naturally occurring volatile compounds.
LOW FREE ACIDITY
Careful Handling Matters
Early harvest alone does not guarantee low free acidity. Healthy, intact olives, gentle handling, and cold pressing within 2 hours of harvest help our Fruity & Full-Bodied profile achieve ≤0.2% free acidity.
THE 120-MINUTE HARVEST-TO-PRESS STANDARD
From Tree to Cold Press in 120 Minutes
Once olives are harvested, time and temperature matter. Bruising, heat and delays before pressing can accelerate fruit deterioration and increase free acidity. That is why we move our freshly harvested olives from tree to press within 120 minutes.
CAREFULLY HARVESTED: Our green olives are carefully picked and handled to minimize bruising and fruit damage before pressing.
PRESSED WITHIN 120 MINUTES: Harvested olives are moved directly to our on-farm press and cold pressed within 2 hours, minimizing storage time between harvest and pressing.
COLD PRESSED BELOW 22°C: Our olives are cold pressed at controlled low temperatures, helping preserve their fresh aromas and naturally occurring compounds.
From our grove to our press, every minute is controlled.
Crafted for Quality. Protected for Freshness.
Cold Pressed Within 2 Hours
Our olives are cold pressed at our grove within 2 hours of harvest, helping preserve their fresh aromas and naturally occurring polyphenols.
UV-Protective Dark Glass
UV-protective dark glass helps shield extra virgin olive oil from light, helping preserve its freshness, flavor, and quality over time.
Ultra-Low Acidity
Our earliest-harvest profile achieves ≤0.2% free acidity, reflecting excellent olive condition and careful handling from harvest to pressing.
Organic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Fruity & Full-Bodied
840
Polyphenols (mg/kg)
Acidity ≤0.2%
Organic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Mild & Flavorous
620
Polyphenols (mg/kg)
Acidity ≤0.3%
Organic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Relish & Smooth
440
Polyphenols (mg/kg)
Acidity ≤0.5%
LIMITED ANNUAL PRODUCTION
Experience the August Harvest
Our earliest green olives yield significantly less oil than fruit harvested later in the season, requiring more olives for every litre produced. This naturally limits how much of our earliest-harvest extra virgin olive oil we can produce each year. Each batch is independently lab tested and packed in UV-protective dark glass bottles or opaque tins to help protect the oil from light and preserve its quality.
EARLY HARVEST TERMINOLOGY
Early harvest describes olives picked before full ripeness; it is not a separate IOC or EU olive oil category. Juicy Olive’s early-harvest oils are single-origin, certified organic, cold pressed below 22°C, and independently lab tested for polyphenols.
Early Harvest Olive Oil: Frequently Asked Questions
Simple & Direct FAQ
Early harvest olive oil is extra virgin olive oil produced from olives picked before full ripeness, while the fruit is still green and firm. At this stage, olives yield less oil but generally have higher polyphenol potential and produce greener, more intense aromas. At Juicy Olive, our earliest harvest begins in August.
Early harvest olives produce less extractable oil than olives harvested later in the season. As a result, producing the same amount of EVOO can require around 2–3 times more olives, together with more harvesting, handling and pressing. The exact yield varies by olive variety, maturity, moisture and crop year.
Generally, yes. Olives harvested earlier in the season tend to have higher polyphenol potential, although the final level also depends on olive variety, growing conditions, crop year and processing. Juicy Olive’s earliest-harvest Fruity & Full-Bodied profile is independently lab tested at 840 mg/kg polyphenols.
Early harvest olive oil typically has a fresh, green and herbaceous character, with aromas such as fresh-cut grass, green tomato and artichoke. It is often more bitter and peppery than oils made from riper olives. The distinctive peppery throat sensation found in some EVOOs is associated with phenolic compounds including oleocanthal.
The main difference is the ripeness of the olives when harvested. Earlier green olives generally yield less oil and produce a greener, more intense profile with higher polyphenol potential. As olives mature, oil yield generally increases and the resulting oil tends to become softer, rounder and milder.
Early harvest extra virgin olive oil can be enjoyed both raw and in cooking. Its fresh, herbaceous aromas, bitterness and pepperiness are especially noticeable when used for finishing, drizzling, salads, dips and bread. It can also be used for sautéing, roasting and baking, although heat can reduce some of its delicate aromas and phenolic compounds.
Our three harvest profiles allow you to choose the intensity that best suits each use.
High-polyphenol early harvest EVOO can maintain its quality longer than lower-polyphenol oils when properly stored. Well-made EVOO protected from light and heat may carry a best-before period of up to 24 months from bottling, depending on its chemistry, packaging and storage conditions. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within a few months for peak aroma and flavor.
No. Early harvest and cold pressing describe two different things. “Early harvest” refers to when the olives are picked—before full ripeness—while “cold pressed” refers to how the oil is produced. An early-harvest olive oil is therefore not automatically cold pressed. At Juicy Olive, our early-harvest olives are cold pressed below 22°C within 2 hours of harvest.