neculae
06-28-2010, 05:10 AM
The Olive tree is considered an evergreen tree. These trees can live to be
over 2,000 years old. They grow 20-40 feet high and begin to bear fruit
between 4 and 8 years old. The tree blooms with small whitish flowers and
have a wonderful fragrant.
A Franciscan missionary planted the first olive tree in California in 1769 at a
Franciscan mission in San Diego. The olives grown in California are called
ˇ°mission olivesˇ±. Of all the species of olives, this olive is especially good for
its oil.
Olives are not edible, green, or ripe, and must be treated with lye and/or
cured in brine or dry salt before being edible. They contain about 20% oil.
Olives must be processed to remove the bitter glycoside oleuropein, before
they are edible, so they are usually first treated with lye and then pickled.
Greek olives are not treated with lye. They are strong tasting because
they are just packed in dry salt, or pickled in brine for 6 to 12 months
(where they undergo a process of lactic fermentation), and finally packed in
fresh brine.
Spanish green olives are picked before they are ripe, treated with lye, and
then placed in a brine and allowed to ferment.
California olives are treated to set the pigment, treated with lye and then
packed immediately in brine and sterilized. They do not undergo the
fermentation process, and the sterilization 'cooks' them. This lack of
fermentation and the 'cooking' when they are sterilized produces a bland,
uninteresting olive.
over 2,000 years old. They grow 20-40 feet high and begin to bear fruit
between 4 and 8 years old. The tree blooms with small whitish flowers and
have a wonderful fragrant.
A Franciscan missionary planted the first olive tree in California in 1769 at a
Franciscan mission in San Diego. The olives grown in California are called
ˇ°mission olivesˇ±. Of all the species of olives, this olive is especially good for
its oil.
Olives are not edible, green, or ripe, and must be treated with lye and/or
cured in brine or dry salt before being edible. They contain about 20% oil.
Olives must be processed to remove the bitter glycoside oleuropein, before
they are edible, so they are usually first treated with lye and then pickled.
Greek olives are not treated with lye. They are strong tasting because
they are just packed in dry salt, or pickled in brine for 6 to 12 months
(where they undergo a process of lactic fermentation), and finally packed in
fresh brine.
Spanish green olives are picked before they are ripe, treated with lye, and
then placed in a brine and allowed to ferment.
California olives are treated to set the pigment, treated with lye and then
packed immediately in brine and sterilized. They do not undergo the
fermentation process, and the sterilization 'cooks' them. This lack of
fermentation and the 'cooking' when they are sterilized produces a bland,
uninteresting olive.