Chef at 11:26, 16 January 2014

2014-01-16T11:26:47Z

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{{#seo:
|title=Montes de Granada: Cooking Wiki
|titlemode=replace
|keywords=#olive #montesdegranada #olives #oliveoil #cereals #fruit #condiments #dop #storecupboarditems #fruits
|hashtagrev=12032020
|description= DOP Montes de Granada is an extra virgin olive oil obtained from healthy and ripe olives of the olive tree (Olea Europaea)belonging to the
}}


[[Image:Montes de Granada.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Montes de Granada]]
'''Description'''

'''[[DOP]] Montes de Granada''' is an extra virgin [[olive oil]] obtained from healthy and ripe [[olives]] of the [[olive]] tree (''Olea Europaea'')
belonging to the principal varieties (Picual, Lucio and Loaime) and secondary varieties (Escarabajuelo,
Negrillo de Iznalloz, Hojiblanca and Gordal de Granada) grown in the defined area.

The [[oil]]s obtained are the result of the joint pressing of principal and secondary varieties. They
therefore consist of several varieties and are enriched by the characteristics peculiar to each of
those varieties. Among the oil's organoleptic characteristics, the strong flavour of the dominant
Picual variety stands out (its green colour, medium to intense bitter flavour and fruity aromas) but
this is diluted by the Lucio and Loaime and secondary varieties, which introduce fresh aromas,
reminiscent of fruits, and a sweet flavour and more golden tinges.

The extra virgin [[olive oil]]s produced in the area have a fruity aroma and a flavour that is reminiscent
of green or ripe recently pressed [[olives]], slightly bitter and full bodied, whose intensity varies
with the degree of maturity of the pressed [[olive]]. The acidity level is low and in colour all the
different shades of green are present, from a deep green to a greenish yellow.

The lipid composition is marked by a high content in oleic acid which is usually above 80 %,
sometimes reaching 83 %. The monounsaturates/polyunsaturates ratio is high (12:20) which
means the nutritional properties are excellent. The chemical stability of the [[oil]]s is high, a quality
largely attributable to the components causing the bitter flavour, making them, in contrast to
other virgin [[olive oil]]s, more resistant to oxidation.

'''Geographical area'''

It coincides with the natural region of the Montes de Granada, is situated in the Province of
Granada and includes the following municipalities: Alamedilla, Alfacar, Alicún de Ortega, Benalúa
de las Villas, Calicasas, Campotéjar, Cogollos Vega, Colomera, Darro, Dehesas de Guadix,
Deifontes, Diezma, Fonelas, Gobernador, Guadahortuna, Güevéjar, Huélago, Iznalloz, the northern
part of the Municipality of La Peza to the River Fardes, Montejícar, Montillana, Morelábor, Nívar,
Pedro Martínez, Piñar, Torrecardela and Villanueva de las Torres, the eastern part of the Municipality
of Moclin to the natural boundary formed by the River Velillos and the northern part of the
Municipality of Albolote y Atarfe formed by the Rivers Cubillas and Colomera up to the point
where they meet.

'''Method of production'''

The procedure for producing the virgin [[olive oil]], from the [[olives]] in the [[olive]] groves to the
obtaining of the oil, involves the following stages:

''Production of [[olives]]''

Advantage is taken of the rainy season, stretching from autumn to winter, for planting. The seedlings
are placed in 50 cm deep casillas (areas of soil worked with the hoe). The layout of a grove
depends on its age, in older groves the spacing between trees is 12 m (square planting) and 8 m
(triangular planting), the number of scions per tree being two, three or four. In more recent
groves, the spacing is 5 m, with a single scion per tree.

The procedures undertaken each year involve:

* Soil working: the removal of weeds, cracks and surface scaling to prevent moisture loss and compaction. There are also groves with plant cover where the soil is not worked but they are few in number.
* Application of fertilisers and plant protection products: practices vary depending on the type of soil and the incidence of pests and/or diseases brought on by weather conditions.
* Irrigation: there is by and large no practice of irrigation in 95 % of the [[olive]] groves in the region. After the recent years of drought (in particular 1995), the system of drip irrigation was introduced in some groves to regulate production; it is applied from March to September, depending on rainfall.
* Pruning: unproductive branches and shoots are removed to control the growth of the [[olive]] tree.
* Harvesting and transport: Once the [[olives]] have reached the correct degree of ripeness — early to mid-December — picking starts. To dislodge the [[fruit]] from the tree canopy without damaging it, the methods of traditional hand pole beating or mechanised vibration are used. The [[olives]] on the ground are collected and are transported and processed separately as they are not suitable for producing [[oil]] covered by the Designation of Origin. Transport to the [[oil]] mill takes place on the day of harvesting and is always undertaken with great care.

''Production of virgin [[olive oil]]''

During the entire production process the [[olives]] from the ground and those picked from the trees are processed separately:

* Intake, cleaning, weighing and washing of the [[olives]]: these operations are carried out for the purpose of classifying the [[fruits]] and removing any remnants of leaves, stalks, dust or other particles.
* Pressing and crushing: the purpose is to break up the [[olive]] so as to enable the [[oil]] to be extracted from its cellular structures.
* Separating the solid matter from the liquid matter and separating the various liquid phases: the purpose is to separate the [[oil]] from the remaining components of the [[olive]].
* Storage of the [[oil]] in cellars: once the [[oil]] has been extracted it is stored under controlled conditions of light and temperature in cellars in stainless steel containers until it is packaged.
* Packing: The [[oil]] must be packed at the point of production. This requirement is intended to protect the quality and the authenticity of the product and, consequently, the reputation of the Designation of Origin, for which the beneficiaries accept full and collective responsibility. The checks carried out in the production area under the responsibility of the beneficiaries of the Designation of Origin are detailed and systematic and are carried out by professionals with specialised knowledge of the product. It would be difficult effectively to carry out the checks required to guarantee the product outside the production area.

'''Geographical link'''

Local archaeological remains and bibliographical references to the name, the region and the
product testify to [[olive oil]] being produced in the area over a long period.

The first reference to ‘terrenos montuosos’ (mountainous terrain) and ‘cultivo del [[olive]]’ ([[olive]] growing)
in the Montes de Granada region dates back to the 16th century. The document in question deals
with land allocation and in it is stated ‘… to each neighbourhood a part of the olive grove is also allocated…’.
(Peinado Santaella, 1989; ''La repoblación de la tierra de Granada: Los Montes'', Universidad de
Granada).

In the 17th century, as narrated by Henriquez de Jorquera in the Granada annals, various factors
but essentially the decline in rural population numbers due to the expulsion of the Moors led to a
decline in the cultivation of [[cereals]] and their replacement by vines and [[olives]]. Another bibliographical
reference of that time, dating back to 1634, mentions the cultivation of ‘Olivas de Marca’, in
reference to trees yielding a rich harvest of high-quality olives (''Libro de Apeos de Cogollos Vega'',
Real Chancillería de Granada). Trees over 500 years old belonging to the Loaime variety, a name of
Arab origin, can still be found today (Martínez Robles, 1833; Colmeiro, 1865; PATAC et al., 1954;
Ministerio de Agricultura, 1976 b; Barranco y Rallo, 1984).

According to 18th century documents a request was submitted by the province of Granada to the
Council of Castile for the clearing of a total of 5,749 hectares. Further, illegal land clearing
increased this figure to 14,103 hectares. The cleared land was then devoted for the most part to
[[olive]] growing, particularly in the Los Montes region, so that in 1799 Granada, with 120,600 quintals,
was placed ninth in [[olive oil]] production ratings (Liceras Ruiz, 1993).

An important historical document dating back to the middle of the 19th century (''Diccionario
Geográfico Estadístico e Histórico'', Pascual Madoz, 1845, republished by Bosque Maurel, 1987) praises
the [[olive]] groves of this district and the exquisite flavour of its [[oil]] and explicitly refers to: ‘'''Montes de Granada''' … and despite the scarcity of drinking water, the waters of the Rivers Cubillas, Benalúa and
Moclín are used for irrigating the surrounding land, and all types of [[cereals]], limpid and exquisite [[oil]], wine
and seeds of all kinds are produced’.

These references to the Rivers Benalúa and Moclín and to the nearby region of Colomera show
that at that time it was in those areas that [[olive]] cultivation and, judging by the still-standing 18th
and 19th century mills, virgin [[olive oil]] production was the most developed. In Colomera, the
Molino de Galenos, with its hand-operated system of presses, still stands, and the Molino de La
Puente is driven by water power and the Molino de Las Niñas, on the Ruta del Legado Andalusí, by
animals.

Finally, it was the period between 1913 and 1933, the so called ‘golden age of [[olive]] cultivation in
Spain’, that saw the biggest increase in [[olive]] plantations and improvements in cultivation practices,
leading to the production of high-value extra virgin [[olive oil]]. In the 20th century the rate of
expansion of the [[olive]] groves of '''Montes de Granada''' was such that it exceeded by far that of the
other Andalusian provinces. Hence, during the Spanish civil war, the area devoted to olive cultivation
in this district witnessed an increase of 50 %, with the result that many of its [[olive]] trees are
around 40 to 50 years old today. In 1957, a decree was issued declaring the conservation of areas
under olives to be a matter of national interest, it being a factor contributing to the conservation
of agricultural land. In the sixties, the areas in the province of Granada devoted to [[olive]] growing
increased from 62,202 ha to 118,365 ha, in other words they almost doubled, and in the Montes
de Granada area olive groves account for 77,5 % of total utilised agricultural area.

The extreme and distinctive characteristics of this region: relief, soil, climate and river systems
make the [[olive]] the plant that is best adapted to the harsh conditions.

The landscapes in this region are mostly typical of low mountain ranges where depressions
ranging from some 750 to 900 m in altitude alternate with mountain folds stretching from east
to west and reaching maximum altitudes of 1,400 to 2,000 m. Hamlets and villages areas are
situated at an average altitude of 900 m above sea level. Landforms are generally more rugged in
the limestone massifs, and other reliefs, also dissected by scarps, consist of low ridges and hills of
limestone, marlaceous lime and loam. Further east, the landscape becomes more gentle, extending
to a high plateau at an elevation of 1 200 m which then descends at the eastern end of the
region to the valley of the River Fardes. This river forms the natural boundary of the district to
the east and from there the relief changes, becoming more typical of the xeric landscape of southeastern
Spain.

In terms of soil structure, the los Montes region has a range of complex soil types which means
that pure forms seldom occur and that mixtures of several types are more common. The
commonest soils are those that have developed from the decomposition of various lithological
varieties of limestone. They are rich in marly limestone materials eroded from the sierra and therefore
have a high calcium carbonate content (over 40 %). Their structure has been subsequently
modified through soil cultivation for agricultural purposes.

The type of climate — Mediterranean continental — is characterised by extremes of temperature,
i.e. huge differences between maximum and minimum day and night, and summer and winter
temperatures. Average annual rainfall varies between 400 and 600 mm or even less in years of
drought. Winters are long and cold, with frequent snowfalls and periods of frost, and summers are
long and hot, with extreme temperatures reaching 40° C.

'''Reference: [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2005:151:0004:0009:EN:PDF The European Commission]'''

{{CategoryLineIngredients}}
[[Category:Ingredients]]
[[Category:Condiments]]
[[Category:Store cupboard items]]
[[Category:PDO-PGI-TSG ingredients]]

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Montes de Granada - Revision history

Chef at 11:26, 16 January 2014