The Hojiblanca olive tree, is the third variety in terms of crop area in Spain. With 265,000 hectares, the Hojiblanca olive variety is only behind the varieties of Picual olive tree (1,000,000 ha) and Cornicabra (270,000 ha). The Hojiblanca olive cultivation is distributed throughout the Andalusian provinces of Córdoba (116,000 ha), Málaga (81,000 ha), Sevilla (46,000) and Granada (27,000 ha).
The most likely provenance of this olive variety is Lucena (Córdoba).
Curiosities: The Hojiblanca name is due to the color of its leaves. The variety of olive Hojiblanca, has the underside of the leaves of light color (“white leaves”).
Synonyms: Hojiblanca olive tree is also known with the names Casta of Goat, Caste de Lucena and Lucentino.
Characteristics of the Hojiblanca Olive Tree
Hojiblanca is a variety of olive appreciated for its good pulp quality and its high rusticity. It has excellent drought resistance, adapts well to limestone terrain and is tolerant of winter cold.
Productivity: the variety of olive Hojiblanca, is entered into production medium and productivity high.
Regularity of bearing: Hojiblanca collection is very late, which is why the floral return induction is scarce. Its productions are alternating and it is considered a variety vecera.
Flowering: the variety of Hojiblanca olive self-fertile, medium-late flowering and its pollen is of medium quality.
Vigor and bearing of the tree: the Hojiblanca olive plant is of vigor medium-high and of erect bearing.
Leaf: The variety of Hojiblanca olive has the lanceolate leaf, long and of medium width.
Diseases: Hojiblanca is moderately sensitive to tuberculosis, repilo and verticilosis. The Hojiblanca olive tree can also be affected by lepra and fly attacks. Its high resistance to drought is the main reason for its great expansion, it also resists winter cold and adapts well to limestone soils.
Multiplication: It has a medium rooting capacity, so it can be multiplied by nebulization (semi-woody staking).
Hojiblanca olives, morphological characteristics
Thanks to its characteristics, the Hojiblanca olives are much appreciated. It is used both for the production of black table olives, and olive oil.
Maturation: The variety of olives Hojiblanca is of maturation late.
Size: Hojiblanca olives are medium-large . It is smaller than Gordal olives and the variety Verdial, but larger than Manzanilla Cacereña.
Shape: The Hojiblanca olive has symmetrical and ovoidal shape.
Appearance that makes it very attractive as a table olive.
Skin color: The Hojiblanca olive reaches maturity, when the skin has a violet red color.
Pulp: Hojiblanca has a relationship pulp / bone very high.
Peduncle: The peduncle of the Hojiblanca olive is medium size . And the olives have no nipple.
Yield: The Hojiblanca olive has a low-medium yield of oil. Despite its late harvest, the olives yield (16-18% ) is less than other olive varieties such as Picual, Cornicabra or Verdial.
Collection: Hojiblanca has high resistance to shedding, an aspect that makes mechanized collection difficult. The Hojiblanca olives are of late maturation and it lasts a long time in the tree, so the harvest used to be done in March.
Uses: The variety of Hojiblanca olive is used for table olives and for oil production, highly valued by it’s taste.
Hojiblanca is highly prized for the production of black olives (due to industrial oxidation), the pulp has a firmness very elevated and it is complicated to detach the bone from the pulp. How to sweeten and preserve olives in brine?
Flavor: The Hojiblanca oil has a pleasant aroma of cut grass, fresh fruit with touches of almond Bitter and a pleasant flavor slightly sweet and spicy.
Curiosities: To improve stability, Extra Hojiblanca virgin oil is usually mixed with other oils with better antioxidant properties. Thus we manage to keep the pleasant taste of Hojiblanca in an oil with greater durability.
Characteristics of Hojiblanca Olive Oil
The Hojiblanca olive oil is one of the most widespread monovarietal oils in Spain.
Taste: Hojiblanca EVOO is a slightly bitter monovarietal oil with a slightly more intense spicy touch.
As for the sensory characteristics, it is an aromatic oil, which can easily remind us of fresh grass, olive leaf, almond and artichoke, nuances can also be distinguished from tomato and apple.
Properties: The Hojiblanca oil has a high content of oleic acid (75%), yet it has of medium stability. It is necessary to keep it out of the reach of light and air, to avoid oxidation.
Curiosities: The stability of Extra Hojiblanca virgin oil can be improved if mixed with olive oils more resistant to oxidation such as Picual olive oil or Cornicabra.
Price: this type of monovarietal oil is quite abundant and in Spain we can buy the packaged oil at prices between 5 and € 8 / liter.
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