Frequently Asked Questions
Plain answers about the harvest, the chemistry, and your order. Anything missing — write to us; one of the two sisters answers.
When is the harvest?
Every year in late October and November. The olives are handpicked and cold-extracted within two hours at our family's private mill in Rameh, in the Galilee mountains.
What does the date in the product name mean?
It is the harvest date — the month the fruit came off the trees, not a bottling date. One pressing per year; when a vintage sells out, it is gone until the next November.
How do pre-orders work?
You order now at the regular price; orders are numbered and allocated in sequence. Your oil ships once the November 2026 harvest is pressed, laboratory-tested, and bottled — typically late November to December. Every pre-order is refundable in full until the moment it ships. Reserve here.
Do you ship to the United States?
US shipping is currently paused because of tariffs on in-stock orders. Pre-orders are a commitment for the 2026 harvest: your allocation ships once the harvest lands and US shipping resumes — or your money back in full, any time. Elsewhere, orders of $50 or more ship free by FedEx, typically 5–10 business days.
What are polyphenols, and what did your oil measure?
Polyphenols are the olive's natural antioxidant compounds — the source of a fresh oil's pepper and bitterness. Our November 2025 pressing measured 1,024 mg/kg total polyphenols (analysis by Veltia, Cyprus), roughly four times the EU health-claim threshold. The full analysis is published here.
Where can I see the laboratory certificate?
Each pressing's certificate of analysis is published in our journal before the oil ships. The 2026 certificate will be published the week of pressing.
What is the Souri olive?
An ancient cultivar of the eastern Mediterranean, named for Sour (Tyre), grown rain-fed in the Galilee for centuries. It is heat-tolerant, high in polyphenols, and the only olive we grow. More on the Souri here.
Why is the oil filtered?
Filtration removes fruit particles that would otherwise ferment and age the oil prematurely. It is how a November pressing holds its quality across the year in your kitchen.
How should I store it?
Cool, dark, and sealed — a cupboard away from the stove. Not the refrigerator. Once opened, it is at its best within a few months.
What is your refund policy?
As a food product, opened oil cannot be returned; damaged or unsatisfactory deliveries are refunded — write to us with a photo. Pre-orders are refundable in full any time before shipment.
Do you sell wholesale?
Yes — our oil has been stocked by US specialty retailers, and we work with a small number of partners each harvest. Get in touch.
Who is behind Khalaf Olives?
Two sisters — Basma and Maria — fifth-generation custodians of the family groves, and our father, who still tends the trees. The estate has pressed every harvest since 1862; The New York Times profiled our village's oil in 2021.
