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Hand Made
An encounter with an artisan who keeps the last scourtin factory in Provence alive. But what is a scourtin?
By Caroline Taret - Photos Annick Guillaume - October 19, 2011
A “scourtin” is a round filter or press cloth, in the shape of a beret, used in the traditional production of olive oil. It takes its name from the Provencal word meaning bassinet. Brother and sister team Arnaud and Frédérique Fert are the fourth generation to employ this tool, continuing to make and use scourtins in their factory in Nyons, in Provence . In this conventional method of oil production, the olives are crushed with a millstone in order to produce a paste, which are placed inside the scourtin, like in a pocket. The scourtins are then piled one on top of the other and placed under the press. The liquids (oil and water) pass through
the scourtin; the solids, the olive cake, stay inside. The liquid mixture runs into the vat, and the oil immediately floats to the surface, as it is lighter than water. At the end of this process, the first cold-pressed oil is recuperated. The Greeks and Romans used exactly these principles to obtain the precious fluid.
Indispensable components of this traditional method, scourtins were made according to the principles of basketry and with esparto grass. That is, until the industrial revolution saw the introduction of hydraulic presses in 1890: these involve a stronger pressure and permit the extraction of more cold pressed oil,
but lead to the scourtins breaking.
This is when Arnaud and Frédérique’s great grandfather Ferdinand invented two major innovations. A weaver along with his wife Marie, the couple first came up with a machine to weave in rounds, then turned their focus to the material used for making scourtins. They explored the possibilities of weavable raw materials from hemp to sisal as well as aloe fiber, but found in the coconut fiber a solid solution that didn’t suffer from contact with water. The round weaving machine and the introduction of coconut fiber in the production of scourtins were two ideas patented in 1892. Their discoveries led to success and allowed the Fert family to employ up to 30 people in their workshop.
This golden age came to an abrupt halt in 1956 when frost destroyed practically every French olive tree, and production stopped short. It was at this time that the alternative practice of recuperating old scourtins to make doormats, typical of Provencal doorsteps, became the family’s next great idea. The Fert family embarked upon the production of doormats, that they also dyed, and then further diversified their product offering by designing placemats and rugs too. Before long, olive oil production techniques experienced further modernization and the use of new scourtins made of nylon became widely adapted.
Scourtin makers continued producing their little berets in coconut and nylon for certain mills from the Var region and in
Corsica that continued to use the traditional production of olive oil. The scourtin, a genuine Provencal product, also can be used as a wine filter for vertical presses, a fact that has grown recently in popularity thanks to the Château d’Yquem, which via a study proves that the wine is better to use than a scourtin. A diversification which goes hand in hand with the domestic range developed by the factory, available on site, next door to their workshop in their pretty store, which is really worth a visit as it also sells regional produce and little treasures imported from India. Arnaud Fert answers inquiries and fulfils orders via his website. When he’s asked if he plans on pursuing the diversification of his products, he replies in the negative, specifying that his wish is simply to preserve this human-sized artisanal activity. And we understand.
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