Nocellara del Belìce

Synonyms: Nuciddara, Aliva tunna, Aliva da salari

Particularly widespread cultivar in the Belìce Valley and in western Sicily.

A plant appreciated since the beginning of Greek civilization, the cultivation of the olive tree has marked a millenary tradition throughout the Belìce Valley.

The tree has a medium vigor, an expanded habit, a medium crown density and pendulous fruit twigs. The leaf is lanceolate elliptical of medium size.

The little fingers have a sparse structure with an average length (30 ± 6.4 mm) and a low number of flowers (15 ± 47). It is self incompatible and blooms in the month of May.

The fruit has a high weight (74 ± 1.6 gr.), With an excellent pulp / stone ratio (8.1 ± 1.42), spherical shape with maximum central diameter position and rounded tip shape with presence of asymmetrical umbo, lenticels are not very present in the green fruit.

Constant average productivity with harvest times in October and November. Medium gradual veraison, it is used as a table olive mainly processed in green.

Collection

The harvest of the olives to be used for tanning (table olives) is carried out exclusively by hand as the qualitative aspects such as:

The volume and the good shape of the fruit - Flavor and consistency of the pulp and thinness of the skin - Ease of detaching from the stone, which must be small and clear.

The detachment of the drupes

The detachment of the drupes takes place with great caution to avoid injuries and compressions of the pulp which would remain visible even after tanning to the detriment of the product's value.

The qualities that most distinguish the drupes are

a good size (140-200 fruits / kg.) with a pulp-stone ratio higher than 4
spherical shape
crunchy pulp that easily detaches from the stone
a fair amount of sugar (> 2%)

Production

Throughout the Belìce Valley, the average annual olive production amounts to approximately 350 thousand quintals, of which 35% (q 120,000) destined for canteen processing and the remaining 65% (230,000) destined for oil production. The olives of the Nocellara del Belìce variety have characteristics of absolute qualitative value that place it among the best table olive cultivars of the international varietal panorama.

Health starts with what you eat…

Representing love of life, the olive tree in its various forms is essential for a healthy and balanced life.

Luigi Pirandello tells us:

How many things will you know, you who have not yielded for three hundred or more years, oh gloomy olive tree, of the winds to the impact, and here you are standing on this solitary olive tree […] thinking back that living is foolish and that to die you profit a lot, you would not have lived three hundred years.

Among chestnut and olive trees