The Olive in Arizona 527 



SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE LYE PROCESS 



1. Use a good grade of lye of known strength. 



2. Use pure water for soaking the oHves and for making the lye 

 and brine solutions. 



3. Avoid the use of metal containers and prevent the olives from 

 coming in contact with anything that would impair their flavor, which 

 means that all vessels used in handling the fruit must be kept absolutely 

 clean. 



4. Processing vats should be provided with the following: (a) 

 removable false bottoms and spigots to permit thorough drainage of 

 the fruit after each treatment; (b) close-fitting, floating covers to 

 exclude air, which spots the fruit; and (c) tight-fitting super-covers 

 to keep out dust and light. 



5. Olives in the processing vats should not be more than two feet 

 deep. 



6. The different treatments vary in length according to the variety, 

 maturity of the fruit, and locality, and must be determined by ex- 

 perimentation. 



PURE-WATER PROCESS 

 The pure-water process consists simply in soaking the fruit in water 

 until the bitterness is extracted. The essentials in the use of this 

 method are chiefly changing the water frequently (twice daily), using 

 pure water, and keeping the soaking vats clean. The process requires 

 from thirty-five to sixty days, depending on the condition of the 

 fruit, and for this reason is not adaptable to commercial usage. 



GREEN PICKLES 

 The essentials for making ordinary green pickled olives are the same 

 as those for making ripe pickled olives, including the lye and brine 

 treatments. The fruit is picked shortly after attaining full size, and 

 before it begins to color. In order to obtain a product similar in flavor 

 and appearance to the imported green olive, it is necessary to carry 

 the fruit through a fermentation process lasting several months. Briefly, 

 the process consists in placing the olives (after the bitterness has been 

 removed) in barrels with loosely fitting bungs, and keeping them cov- 

 ered with a ten-ounce brine until fermentation ceases, when they are 

 ready for the trade. 



