Every autumn, the Olive House turns into a beehive of activity as the olives are cured, sized and canned using the same machines and recipes invented by the original Mr. Graber over a hundred years ago. His descendants now run the business, which is Ontario's oldest. The olives roll along nylon cords that get progressively farther apart. The smaller ones drop through first, and the larger ones later. Mr. Graber was the first person to size olives.
Sixteens are the biggest.
They're a whole inch in diameter, a very nice mouthful. Betty showed us through the olive curing, canning, and shipping rooms. Olives can be pitted only when they're green and hard. Grabers are picked when they're totally ripe, which makes them too tender to pit. After our tour, we visited the Graber gift shop where hooray guests are welcome to sample the wares.