20 



BULiLETIN 803, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 9. — Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh of 

 Ascolano olives taken from one grove in 1916. 



these experiments are summarized in Table 5. Briefly, the results 

 of these experiments showed that pickling has little effect on the size 

 of the olives or on the percentage of pits. The solids in the flesh, 



starting with fresh 

 olives, fall 5 or 6 per 

 cent. The oil in the 

 flesh undergoes little 

 change, or decreases 

 very slightl}?-. Some 

 notable exceptions to 

 this rule were un- 

 doubtedly due, for 

 the most part, to poor 

 sampling. The addi- 

 tion of salt raises the 

 ash content, but the 

 original salt-free ash 

 is partially leached 

 out. The solids not 

 oil show a notable 

 decrease from the fresh fruit, dropping 5 or 6 per cent, which accounts 

 for a corresponding diminution in total solids. This loss consists 

 mostly of soluble carbohydrates and probably the bitter glucoside. 

 Up to nearly 4.5 per cent reducing sugar, calculated as dextrose, 

 which disappears en- 

 tirely during pic- 

 kling, was found in 

 fresh, ripe olives. 

 The protein, which 

 was determined in a 

 few experiments, did 

 not suffer notable 

 change. Because of 

 the loss of solids not 

 oil, the percentage of 

 oil in the flesh on the 

 dry basis is largely 

 increased, rising 

 from about 60 per 

 cent for fresh, ripe 

 fruit to a value 10 



or 12 per cent higher after pickling. In some cases the fact that the 

 loss in solids and gain in oil on the dry basis are less is due to the fact 

 that the fruit had been previously shipped or held in brine, causing a 

 loss of solids not oil before the experiment was begun. 



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4S 



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Fig. 10. — Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh of 

 Nevadillo olives taken from one grove in 1915. 



