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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Pickling the Olive. Olives are pickled in a green state, as is 

 the case with imported olives ; or in a ripe state, as largely under- 

 taken in California. No one had any conception at first of the dif- 

 ficulties attending the production of pickled ripe olives which 

 would have the keeping quality demanded in an article of com- 

 merce. It is now clearly seen that treating ripe olives to extract 

 the bitterness and to secure firmness, good flavor and keeping qual- 

 ity is one of the most difficult propositions in our horticultural 

 manufacturing, and we can but admire the wisdom of the Spaniard 

 in teaching Anglo-Saxons to enjoy green olives. 



Lye Treatment of Ripe Olives. The following is an outline of 

 the pickling of olives as drawn from the University publications 

 by Professor Bioletti: 



1. Gather the fruit carefully by hand without bruising. It is best when 

 cherry red or just turned black. When green, it lacks flavor and oil and 

 when over-ripe it is too soft and the skin is tough. Soft, shriveled, or 

 frost-bitten olives are unsuited for pickling. 



2. Place the olives in an open vessel of glass or earthenware, or a 

 wooden bucket or barrel. Metal vessels should not be used. A wooden 

 cover to fit loosely inside the vessel on top of the olives will prevent the 

 spotting of olives which float. 



3. Make a lye solution of three ounces (three tablespoonfuls of soda 

 lye to a gallon of water or approximately one pound of lye to five gallons. 



4. Cover the olives with this solution, keeping them submerged by 

 means of the wooden cover. Stir and examine the olives every hour. As 

 soon as the skin changes color, cut an olive occasionally to note by the dis- 

 coloration of the flesh how far the lye has penetrated. 



5. When the lye has gone through the skin but only a very short way 

 into the flesh, pour it off into another vessel. This will be in from three 

 to eight hours, according to the olives and the temperature. 



6. Expose the olives to the air until the color is darkened and equal- 

 ized. They should be stirred frequently while exposed. To make them all 

 black requires from one to three days or more, but the flavor is better if 

 not exposed too long. 



7. When the desired color is attained, replace the old lye by fresh lye 

 and leave with frequent stirring until it has penetrated to the pit. It must 

 reach the pit or the olives will be bitter, but if left long after reaching the 

 pit, the flesh will be softened and the color bleached. 



8. Replace the lye with water, which should be changed twice daily, 

 until all taste of lye is removed about five to seven days. 



9. Then place for twenty-four hours in a brine of five ounces (five 

 tablespoons) of salt to a gallon of water. 



Pure- Water Process. Pickled olives are made without the use 

 of lye, but this process is only practicable with olives whose bitter- 

 ness is easily extracted, and where the water is extremely pure and 

 plentiful, and even then it is very slow and tedious. The olives are 

 placed from the beginning in pure water, which is changed twice a 

 day until the bitterness is sufficiently extracted. This requires from 

 forty to sixty days or more. 



Green Pickles. Green pickled olives are made by essentially 



.e same processes as are used for ripe olives. The extraction of 



i bitterness requires the same care. The olives are pickled soon 



ter they have attained full size, and before they have shown 



any signs of coloring or softening. They are rather more easily 



