Bio-Harvest farming is a self-efficient holistic approach of organic farming. We do not use any chemicals, pesticides or industrial farming, ensuring the quality of our oil in every step of the process.
Some of the steps we take include:
We use holistic pest control without the use of chemicals and pesticides.
We do not use mass production techniques and chemical agents, which destroy the soil vitality and deplete the olives of their nutrients.
We add organic sheep manure to our soil to enrich its nutrients.
Our groves are naturally irrigated by the rain. We only import local fresh water to wash our olives and prepare them for pressing.
We also compost the pulp of the olive fruit and the leaves for a year, and then feed it back to our trees.
2. What is the difference between the Certified Organic EVOO and the Bio-Harvest EVOO?
The olives used to make the Certified Organic EVOO come from tress that are located on the highest hilltop of our estate, right next to the Mediterranean Sea. This means that the salty air from the sea, combined with the sunlight that the island receives all year long and the rich soil, make a stronger and smoother tasting olive oil that is sure to please the palate of olive oil aficionados everywhere.
The Bio-Harvest EVOO has not been certified organic, however we do not use any chemicals or pesticides on our Bio-Harvest crop either. The flavour is more subtle than the Certified Organic EVOO and is a better value since it has not been certified organic.
Both our Bio-Harvest and Certified Organic EVOOs are certified kosher, raw, cold-pressed, handpicked, and only made from the Koroneiki variety, also known as the king of olives.
3. How is the olive oil made?
The olives are handpicked from the trees and then taken to the mill located within the estate itself. Here they are first separated from their leaves, which are recycled through compost and fed back to the land. Next, the olives are washed with spring water and then pressed to separate the oil from the olives. No heat or chemicals are used during the extraction process; the oil is pure, cold-pressed and unrefined. All of this takes place within 24 hours of harvesting the olives to retain the optimum amount of nutrients.
4. Is it bad for your health to cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
No, if you buy a high quality 100% authentic EVOO, then you can cook with it in low to medium heat without destroying the antioxidants and, therefore, the health benefits of the oil.
5. What does it taste like?
It has a light fruity taste with grassy notes and a hint of peppery finish, which is an indicator of the antioxidants present in the oil.
5. How can I be sure that the oil is 100% authentic EVOO?
Each bottle states the extensive chemical analysis done on the oil as well as the Protected Designation of Origin symbol, which means that each bottle can be traced back to where it came from. As well, you will notice a fresh grassy fragrance and finished with peppery notes, which is another indication of an authentic EVOO.
Acropolis Organics goes to great lengths to preserve the mono-cultivar value of our oil. Our olive oil is from one estate, one mill, and from one variety of olives, the “Koroneiki” variety also known as the king of olives.
Our olive oil is never blended with other oils or with chlorophyll to artificially enhance its colour or beta-carotene to mask the flavour of the blended oils. This singular approach ensures that our customers are getting pure, genuine, fresh olive oil from a reliable source and from a limited harvest.
Our mill is located on our estate and operated by us. Once the olives are picked they are brought to the mill right away.
Acropolis Organics
Other Companies
CULTIVATION
We use organic fertilizers (sheep manure, olive leaves and tree mulch) and remove weeds through mechanical means.
They use chemicals and pesticides such as RoundUp to kill the weeds. RoundUp kills everything in the ground, including the friendly microorganisms that are important for the growth of the olive tree & the nutrition value of the olives.
Our olives are organic and sourced from our own estate.
They source their ingredients from various different farms and cannot guarantee organic content.
Our orchards consist of rolling hills. We have a limited harvest to ensure the highest quality.
They mass produce in a linear fashion.
We handpick our olives.
They use big mechanical tractors, which hit the trees, bruise the fruits and weaken the roots of the tree.
We use the best variety of olives (Koroneiki olives), which guarantees a pure olive oil bursting with maximum health benefits.
You do not know how many varieties of olives are used and what their quality is prior to making the oil.
PRODUCTION
They care about quantity vs. quality. They use mills in different areas so it takes longer for the olives to be milled. This starts the fermentation process of the olives which reduces the nutritional value and the taste of the oil.
We only have one ingredient in our product – olive oil.
They mix corn oil or canola oil with olive oil, without stating it on their label, to reduce costs.
We do not have any hidden additives or fillers.
They add beta-carotene to mask the flavor of the blended oils and/or add chlorophyll to mask the colour.
Raw & free of gluten, dairy, nuts, Non-GMO ingredients.
No guarantee if they are raw, or include gluten, dairy, nuts or Non-GMO ingredients.
PACKING
We use dark glass bottles to ensure the oil is protected from light.
They do not use dark glass bottles, which lets light in and destroys the nutritional content of the oil.
You cannot beat the value you get from buying our products. Other authentic EVOOs with a similar quality are priced more than double on the market.
If the price is too low, there is a reason for that. The only way to ensure a low price is to blend the oil. Hence, the consumer ends up with adulterated oil.
We are transparent:
We show the chemical analysis on our label.
Our olive oil comes from the village of Chania, Crete, Greece.
We have a limited harvest, ensuring fresh olive oil every time.
We use one variety of olives, the Koroneiki olive.
They are not transparent:
They do not state the chemical analysis.
The origin of their oil is not stated (the oil can be harvested and packed in two different countries)
They mass produce and purchase the oil from many sources before bottling it.
They use several varieties and do not state them on the bottle.
From harvesting to bottling the oil, everything is done on our family estate in Crete, Greece, to ensure the highest quality possible.
Each step of the process takes place at different sites, different cities and different countries, which leads to problems with quality control.
