The Tucson citizen., 1901-12-30
HOW OLIVES ARE CURED.
Dsfacuat Proeesa. Requiring Time
and Constant Care.

and Constant Care.
1T should be remembered. said the
olive man. that the constitution of an
olive IN az delicate as that OF tender
child. From the time the crop is gath
cred until II in finally packed In the
bottles there is not Il moment which is
not fTaught with the InfenseKi anxiety
ON the part of all who handle the fruit.
No other product requires such con
stant application Of the old maxim Of
eternal vigilance as olives.
The ball begins with the gathering
Of the fruit. This is done In the late
summer or early autumn. while the
fruit Is stiil green and hard and alto
getiier unaavory on account of ita In
tense bitterness The olives are picked
by hand 10 prevent scratching and
brnlking and then conveyed LII carts or
IN pack mules to the curing establish
ment. Olive curing In very delicate
and Intricate process, for which no
fixed rules can lie laid down. course
of treatment that In one instance
would prove successful might be- abso
iutely ruiDous In another. The business
Of curing therefore calls for expert tai
ent and is always iHtrus,ed to pro
fessionaI who brings 10 bis task his
own Skill and knowledge. supplement.
ed l,y the experience of generations ~
knsfoIk rho were CurrfE In that par
ilcular variety before hitg.
The fret step in the process Of cur
Ing is known an cooking When the
fruit comes 10 the curing establish
nens. II Ia tIaced tn large watts filed
with a mixture of lime and water. In
which II undergoes a Kind Of fermen-
tatiou. Cooking Is merely technical
ua me for this fermentation process
When the fermentation has reached
certain stage. matter requiring any.
where from few hours 20 a few days,
the curer gives the signal 10 withdraw
the plugs, and the liquid IN run on. The
olives are then thoroughly washed
with fresh water until they are bright
and cIean and every trace Of lime II re-
moved II you we're 20 taste them now,
you would find that they had lost most
Il their nnplea SAINT bitterness
AFTER washing the fruit Is put In
casks filled with brine and the casks
exposed. bungs open. TO the sun. This
induces second Fermentation. which
takes place more or less rapidly, ac-
cor.Iing TO the weather. However. as
Spain enjoys fairly equahle climate.
period of from three Ia four weeks gen
orally suiiices. Throughout this second
fermentation the olives keep throwing
OF the brine so that the casks must hc
inspected daily and kept filled with
new brine Of the required strength.
Finally there comes time when
they no longer throw OF any urine
They are then ready for sorting that
is. for separation according To size and
quality. All that are perfect OF proper
color and free from scratches spots
and other hleInlshes- are called select
cti.' the rest 'culis' The various sizes
are known according 10 their weight.
5000 meaning olives that count eighty
to ninety 10 the kilo,
after sorting the olives are then
put back into the casks, the bungs
driven in. and the whole is ready for
shipment 10 the American importer
"Do you begin to pack as soon as they
arriye In New York; was the next
leading question,
mo, indeed. The long ocean voyage
affects olives ns much ~ II does hu-
man beings They generally succumh
TO scasickness' en- route that Is, We
lind them In some stage Of fcrmenih-
tion on arrival, which requires our con
stant care until they recover
Doesn't this 'seaslckness, rs you
call II. impair the quality In any wayT
mot at all. 1t only makes the olive
man feel the burden Of his reSponSl'
bilities In every stage OF fermentation
there Ia critical moment when he
must exercise the greatest care ana
caution. II the olives recover, they are
really much improved In quality. II
they don't, they are hopclessly ruined.
There is no intermediate condition.
Arco Special.
Artists supplles-Brown's art store