guarantees our annual production. This is done
by hand following very similar techniques to
centuries ago, just adjusted to the best deve-
lopments in ecology and sustainability. Apart
from that we use the Kaolin clay during the
stages of fruit growth and ripening, as I
mentioned before, and we place small phero-
mone fly traps on some of our trees to fight the
olive fruit fly.
All our cropping is done one hundred per-
cent manually due to the difficult access of our
terrain. The olives are placed in ventilated
boxes (very similar to the ones used over the
centuries) containing a maximum of 20kg
each, and are taken immediately to the on-site
press. The oil is always extracted just minutes
after picking, in our own estate press. This
allows us to control the finest details of the
process and always maintain the highest of
standards.
Son Moragues oil is quite expensive, and it
should be kept it in a dark place and consumed
quickly. Why do you give this advice?
When we buy high quality extra virgin olive oil
it is very important to know how to keep it and
how to use it, so we can conserve all its bene-
ficial traits for as long as possible.
Extra virgin olive oil is a natural product
which evolves over time. The difference from
other products like wine, which can improve
over time, is that olive oil is a very delicate pro-
duct that can deteriorate rapidly if we don’t
know how to keep it. Light and high tempera-
tures affect olive oil negatively by speeding up
the natural oxidation process.
Dark thick glass, like that of our Son
Moragues bottle, protect the oil from one of its
main enemies: light. It is also important to
protect it from air and heat, which is why the
best place is in a dry, dark, cool cupboard.
The bottle must always be properly closed to
avoid exposure to oxygen that would cause the
oil to deteriorate.
Another thing to take into account is that
once the bottle has been opened, it should be
consumed relatively quickly. You can’t keep an
open bottle of excellent olive oil all year
waiting for that special occasion, because
when it arrives the oil will have lost its persona-
lity. This is why I say that the best occasion is
always right now.
Olive oil is very healthy, it is the best tolerated
of all oils and prevents serious diseases. The
important phenols are only present in genuine
extra virgin olive oil. Can they be found in Son
Moragues oil?
Yes, of course. Extra virgin olive oils in particu-
lar – like Son Moragues olive oil – contain phe-
nolic compounds that have a natural anti-
oxidant effect and are par-
ticularly good for your
health. The refining pro-
cess removes most of these
polyphenols, which is why
many oils described as
olive oil do not have the
same properties as extra
virgin olive oil.
Our olive oil is pro-
duced exclusively from the
Mallorquin variety, whose
high phenol content distin-
guishes it from other varie-
ties of olive. At 698mg/kg,
the concentration of phe-
nols in our oils is extremely
high. This can also be
traced back to the early
harvesting of the fruits
while they are still very
green and contain very
high levels of phenolic
compounds.
Anyone who tastes our
olive oil will be conscious
of a bitter taste and an itch
in their throat. These cha-
racteristics indicate the pre-
sence of polyphenols, in
particular oleuropein and
oleocanthal. The latter is
described as a natural
Ibuprofen and is responsi-
ble for the itching in the
throat. One should remem-
ber that bitterness and spi-
ciness are positive qualities
in an olive oil. And if these
properties work well to-
gether then we can assume
that we are dealing with a
very healthy product.
Deborah Piña-Zitrone (oben) in der Küche des Landguts Son Moragues.
Dr. Magdalena Tomás Mir kontrolliert die Früchte vor der Ernte (links).
Your product range also
includes
tomato
and
orange marmalade. Do
these products contain oil
Produkteinkauf und Besuch auf Son Moragues nur nach Vereinbarung.
from Son Moragues?
Avda. Lluis Salvador Cilimingras s/n, Valldemossa, Tel. +34 971 612 543
We have a selection of
Mediterranean marmala-
des – tomato and basil, red
onion, Seville orange and lemon. These
marmalades contain no olive oil, but they are
organically produced with the same care and
attention on our own farm. All the fruits and
vegetables are local varieties, harvested in
their prime to preserve their superior flavour
and maintain their high quality.
InTErVIEw: BIrgIT UngEr | TrAnSLATIon: CELIA MooDY
MorE on www.SonMorAgUES.CoM
DELUXE 57