328 FLORIDA FRUITS HOW TO USE THEM. 



drying are fully ripe, dried in the sun, or in an evaporator, 

 packed tight in a jar with aromatic herbs to flavor the 

 fruit. Oil is then turned over the fruit to exclude the 

 air, but none is allowed to sink to the bottom of the jar, 

 as it might become rancid. 



Pickled Olives. In Spain the green fruits for pickles are 

 allowed to reach full size, but yet be green and hard, and 

 are handled by a slow and a quick process. By the slow pro- 

 cess the freshly picked olives are placed in fresh water, which 

 must be changed daily for a fortnight ; the water must be 

 drawn off and promptly replaced, leaving the fruit ex- 

 posed to the air no more than possible. At first the water 

 will be very bitter, but the bitter will decrease daily. The 

 taste must determine the time required. When sufficiently 

 soaked the olive must be placed in a pickle containing one 

 volume of salt to fourteen of water. They may be kept 

 in clean, well-soaked tubs without any repugnant flavor- 

 ing, a layer of olive twigs and leaves being placed at the 

 bottom to prevent injury from pressure, and another on 

 the top, weighted down and covered with the pickle. They 

 will be ready for bottling in four months. 



By the quick process a solution of two volumes of caus- 

 tic soda and fourteen volumes of water is prepared and 

 turned over the fruit. After remaining in soak an hour 

 the olives must be sampled by cutting a few open to ascer- 

 tain how far the solution has penetrated. The depth may 

 be noticed by the color, and should not exceed one half 

 the thickness of the pulp; when the proper depth is 

 reached, the solution must be immediately drawn off and 

 replaced quickly by fresh water, changing it three or four 

 times, and leaving the last water on twenty-four hours. 

 Brine, as for the slow process, is prepared, and the olives 

 placed in it ; by this process the olives will be ready for 

 use in thirty days. 



