Blanqueta olive tree, with about 20,000 hectares of cultivation is the second olive variety most cultivated in the Valencian Community. The plantations are located mainly in Valencia and Alicante, although it is also possible to find olive groves of the Blanqueta variety in Murcia or Albacete.
Because of its low vigor, precocity and high productivity, it is an interesting variety for olive grove in hedge. However, it is sensitive to tuberculosis and the oil it produces is less stable that Arbequina, aspects to be taken into account.
Curiosities: The name Blanqueta refers to the white color that the Blanqueta olives takes when it is ripe.
Names or synonyms: The most widely used synonyms are Blanquilla and Blanc Roig. Although the Blanqueta olive is also called Acebuchina Blanca, Blancaleta, Blanca Menuda, Blanc Vermell, Blanc Bermell, Blanqueta de Enguera, olive tree Del Catllar, Hermaneta.
Characteristics of the Blanqueta Olive tree
The characteristics of the Olive Blanqueta, reduced vigor, high and regular production, high yield, resistance to cold and drought, etc… They make the Blanqueta variety interesting for cultivation in Olive grove in hedge or high density.
Productivity: The variety of Blanqueta olive tree, is of entry into production early and has high productive capacity. It is one of the most productive varieties in Spain.
Regularity of bearing : Blanqueta is a variety of regular production olive trees (little vecera). It requires to prune annually to encourage the growth of long shoots.
Flowering: the Blanqueta olive tree is late flowering . Pollen is considered of low quality, as it has low germination capacity.
Vigor and bearing of the tree: the Blanqueta olive variety is vigorous under and erect bearing.
Leaf: the Blanqueta olive has the leaf elliptical, short and of medium width.
Diseases: Blanqueta is a rustic variety, with high resistance to drought, limestone, Colletotrichum sp in olives and winter cold. On the other hand, it is fly sensitive, Verticillium, repilo and tuberculosis, aspects to take into account face to perform phytosanitary treatments.
Multiplication: Blanqueta plant has a very high rooting capacity. It is a very easy variety to multiply and, therefore, low cost.
Blanqueta Olives, morphological characteristics
Blanqueta olives have good characteristics for the production of oil. The Blanqueta olive oil is highly prized for its sweet taste and fruity aroma.
Maturation: Blanqueta olive is ripe medium. 
Size: Blanqueta olives has small medium-sized (2 grams).
Shape: The form of the Blanqueta olive is spherical and symmetric.
Skin color: the Blanqueta olives, matures when the skin turns vinous red and with whitish yellow spots during the envero. Reaching a color close to black in full maturity.
During the envero phase, many white olives can be observed in the olive tree, which is why the Blanqueta variety is called.
Pulp: Blanqueta olive has insufficient quality pulp for dressing.
Peduncle: The Blanqueta olive variety has the short peduncle.
Yield: Blanqueta is a very high variety of olives fatty yield. In traditional olive groves, the olive yield can exceed 22%.
Harvest: the Blanqueta olive has a high shedding resistance. This aspect makes mechanized collection difficult. Collection should be done early to avoid frost to which the fruit is very sensitive.
Uses: Blanqueta olive is a variety used for mill or oil production.
Advantages: The Blanqueta olive tree roots well and is resistant to drought, has very good fat yield, regular and high productivity, early and easy to multiply. Vigor suitable for olive grove plantations in hedge.
Disadvantages: Difficulty of collection. Very low stability oil. Sensitive to fly, repilo and tuberculosis.
Blanqueta Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
The high yield of the Blanqueta olive variety allows for good oil production. The Blanqueta oil is highly appreciated in the Valencian Community for its organoleptic characteristics. For this reason and because it is a traditional crop variety, Blanqueta oil (10-25%) is included in the PDO Oil of the Valencian Community.
Taste: Extra Virgin Blanqueta oil has a sweet, slightly bitter taste with Nice fruity aromas.
Properties: The Blanqueta oil has a low percentage of oleic acid and gets dirty easily. Its stability is even less than that of Picudo, Hojiblanca or Arbequina.
Price: Blanqueta olive oil availability is not very high. We can find monovarietal oil, packaged at prices between 10, 20, 30 and up to € 120/liter.
Recommended Reading
In the blog we have articles on a large number of olive varieties, you may be interested in:
Characteristics of the Hojiblanca olive tree
Warning
We have translated the information on our website from Spanish to English. Note that some words may have seen their meaning altered during their translation.
Dear Sir,
my name is László Galata, I live in Hungary and I look for cold hardy olive varieties. As I see you have several varieties that are cold hardy. Could you send me seeds of these trees? Of course I pay for them. I know that trees from seeds are not the same as mother tree. I know that our climate differs from Spain. I’d like to have a few trees that survives here and I can be proud of them.
Thank you in advance.
Yours sincerely.
Galata László