Picking up olive trees
In this season, I told my father that I feel like going to pick up olives, so needless to bargain the field with the renters this time. Based on this bargaining system, the renter takes half of the crop and the other half goes to the landlord, regardless of the amount of product.
We used to harvest our olive trees, but we couldn't do so over the past few years due to the lack of workforce, and my parents don´t have enough power to do so anymore.
I actually felt kind of nostalgia that I should go back to the field this season as I have enough time. I like it so much!
Anyway, briefly on olive trees in Palestine, they significantly cover the agricultural landscape, and one of the most famous trees due to the tasty oil extracted. Moreover, people here respect it given to its sanctity, which is mentioned in Qurán in At-tin sura, for example, (IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL) "By the fig and the olive; By Mount Sinai; By this City of Security (Makkah) (I). And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We carried them on the land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment (II)."
This tree adds a beautiful feature to the land, especially if cultivated in an orderly way. It's old-growth features a history of a long generation, as many of them were cultivated by the generation of the beginning of the 20th century, even during the Ottoman Empire. I could touch upon lots of them are very old and huge. Therefore, ladders are needed to climb up or sometimes without if its branches aren´t tightly interwoven or knotted up, and safe to climb. However, some of them have weak branches are breakable given to the amount of water although there is no need for irrigating them regularly, they mainly depend on rainwater.
Also, this tree symbolizes our identity and culture as our name is closely associated with. It has a big place in our heritage though and a special season we pick up olive fruits to extract oil and make pickled olive, which is very tasty with different flavors and spices.
As maple tree means a lot to Canadians, it´s the same story here.
Regarding oil extraction, after picking up olive, we pack it into sacks and then throw it on an uncovered ground, but not stacked or piled up, so that sun rays can go through to dehydrate it. This process takes about 3 weeks to a whole month, then it's sent to the squeezer, a big factory, to extract oil. Some people take the remains that come out of a big tube for fertilizing the land or warming up the fireplace, as it becomes an inflammable material after dehydrating it. Afterward, and during the first two weeks, oil is inedible, because in this phase still very sour and full of acidity, which fades away over time.
Olive oil isn't cheap, very healthy, natural 100% no other substances used to produce it, and highly recommended by doctors. It's better than other kinds of oil that cause obesity according to the medical research.
We used to harvest our olive trees, but we couldn't do so over the past few years due to the lack of workforce, and my parents don´t have enough power to do so anymore.
I actually felt kind of nostalgia that I should go back to the field this season as I have enough time. I like it so much!
Anyway, briefly on olive trees in Palestine, they significantly cover the agricultural landscape, and one of the most famous trees due to the tasty oil extracted. Moreover, people here respect it given to its sanctity, which is mentioned in Qurán in At-tin sura, for example, (IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL) "By the fig and the olive; By Mount Sinai; By this City of Security (Makkah) (I). And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We carried them on the land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment (II)."
This tree adds a beautiful feature to the land, especially if cultivated in an orderly way. It's old-growth features a history of a long generation, as many of them were cultivated by the generation of the beginning of the 20th century, even during the Ottoman Empire. I could touch upon lots of them are very old and huge. Therefore, ladders are needed to climb up or sometimes without if its branches aren´t tightly interwoven or knotted up, and safe to climb. However, some of them have weak branches are breakable given to the amount of water although there is no need for irrigating them regularly, they mainly depend on rainwater.
Also, this tree symbolizes our identity and culture as our name is closely associated with. It has a big place in our heritage though and a special season we pick up olive fruits to extract oil and make pickled olive, which is very tasty with different flavors and spices.
As maple tree means a lot to Canadians, it´s the same story here.
Regarding oil extraction, after picking up olive, we pack it into sacks and then throw it on an uncovered ground, but not stacked or piled up, so that sun rays can go through to dehydrate it. This process takes about 3 weeks to a whole month, then it's sent to the squeezer, a big factory, to extract oil. Some people take the remains that come out of a big tube for fertilizing the land or warming up the fireplace, as it becomes an inflammable material after dehydrating it. Afterward, and during the first two weeks, oil is inedible, because in this phase still very sour and full of acidity, which fades away over time.
Olive oil isn't cheap, very healthy, natural 100% no other substances used to produce it, and highly recommended by doctors. It's better than other kinds of oil that cause obesity according to the medical research.
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