I monti Iblei sono situati nell'immediato entroterra del sud-est della Sicilia.
Questo territorio si affaccia da un lato sul mar Mediterraneo e dall'altro sul mar Jonio: ideal environment and climate for carob trees.
Who, in the Hyblaean mountains, the Leone company has specialized in the processing of carobs since 1982, in the territory of Frigintini, rural fraction of Modica.
The story of Leone Carrube nasce con l'intuizione di "Don Nzulu" Leone, a small carob merchant, who decided to buy a wooden mill to process the sweet fruit.
The Leone company has therefore continued to exist thanks to more than decades of experience and the passion of an entire family to which has been added the professionalism and daily dedication to work: on these bases the process of transformation and crushing of the whole carob begins.
L'albero di carrubo
L'albero di carrubo è un sempreverde dalle chioma frondosa.
It takes many years for the plant to bear fruit, while very little is enough for it to be damaged: for this reason it belongs to the protected species.
L'albero produce frutti (the carob trees) similar to the bean pod, but larger in size.
Once ripe, the fruit turns brown and is ready to be eaten.
The carob, the carob trees
L'albero di carrubo, with its precious fruits, it is therefore an important natural treasure for the Hyblean territory: with a slightly pungent odour, but with a somewhat sweet taste.
It is a totally organic product since the tree does not need any chemical treatment and it manages to become a valid and important component for livestock industries.
The pulp is very nutritious: and very rich in sugars, proteins and fibers, improving the palatability of the feed in which it is found.
Nutritional qualities
From a nutritional point of view, carobs owe their properties to the nutritional principles contained mainly in the pulp that separates the pod from the seeds.
Although highly caloric, they are also rich in fiber, which make them a highly satiating food, and they are also low in fat. They have a good protein and mineral content and are an excellent source of vitamins, including B vitamins, vitamin C, Vitamin E, K.
Applications
In addition to zootechnical use, a partire dagli anni '80, l'industria alimentare si è interessata alla carruba. The pulp is mostly used: by drying it and then chopping it it is possible to obtain the "carcao", which is a cocoa substitute, low in fat, or more commonly known by the name of carob flour.
These flours are mostly used in the confectionery sector.
Carob seed
The seed represents the most important part of the carob and is formed by the cuticle (skin), dal germe e dall'endosperma. I semi, formerly called "carats", they were used as a unit of measure for weighing gemstones. They generally have a flattened shape and a very hard texture. They are used for the production of carob seed flour.
Quest'ultimo appunto, also called seed meal or E-410, it is an excellent thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier, therefore much appreciated and used in the food sector.
L'attenzione all'ambiente
Siamo strettamente connessi all'ambiente e al territorio in cui viviamo.
Our commitment in this regard is concrete: oltre alle nostre certificazioni autoproduciamo molta dell'energia elettrica necessaria per la nostra attività tramite un impianto fotovoltatico.
Crushing
Immagazziniamo e conserviamo le carrube affinché possano essere frantumate durante tutto l'anno fino alla nuova raccolta.
From the processing of the carob we obtain the seed separately and from the pulp we obtain two sizes: fine and medium-coarse.
