Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-02-14
The California Ripe Olive.

No more interesting chapter in the
history of horticulture in California
can be found than that on the olive.
The record of it's first planting in that
state is a record of the itinerary of
the mission fathers: the padres who
played such an important part in the /
days of the first Spanish settlers. The /
mission was the rallying point of each /
little community as it spread north
from San Diego. To make the build
inss more attractive, figs, pomegran
ates, oranges, citron, dates, and olive
trees were planted. These fruits had
to be transported from Spain and
they found the rich soil Of California
greatly to their liking. Memories of
the mission gardens will go down in
years, as IMPLYING the beautiful i'll
Horticulture and horticulture.
However there is little left of these
to delight the eye. The olive, true to
its reputation for longevity, is about
the only living survivor of the once
! glorious past, says the house organ
of the California Packing corporation.
The records have come down to
show that the olive was never eaten
in these early days. The fruit was
crushed for its oil, which was used in
ceremonies of the church. And even
in later years, when olives We're plant
ed commercially, the harvest was al
ways converted into oil.
1t might be advisable at this point
to emphasize the fact that there is a
marked difference between the green
olive, which up to the last decade was
the only olive eaten, and the Cali
fornia ripe olive. The green olive is
mostly imported, and, as its name sug.
gests, is picked before it is allowed
| to ripen. 1t is very bitter and hard !;
, in fact, it may be safely said that the
eating of the fruit in this condition
is an acquired taste. 1t will never, in
any case, be more than relish.
, The ripe olive which has been prop
erly processed is dark brown, almost
black, and is firm but soft, with a
delicious, nutty flavor. It's value as q
food may be appreciated when by an
, alysis it has been shown that the
ripe olive contains from 20 per cent
to 25 per cent oil, in contrast to the
green fruit, which contains only about
per cent.
, 1t may safely be said that Califor
MIA has no competition in the raising
of olives in the United States Out
I side of a very small production II
:. Arizona, no state in the Union has the
. necessary qualifications of climate
and soil to commercially produce thu
J. fruit
y The olive tree has a long life. Ii
s. Palestine there are trees centuries
:. old; in fact. older than can be traced
back by any living inhabitant. Thi
characteristic has been transplante'
to California, for there are trees nea
= San Diego still producing that wer
# planted around the year 1900. TIL
G tree will grow on dry and rocky soil
9 where no other fruit or vine can TAX
r hold. But the same holds true Il
- this case, as in Others that the growtl
of the tree and the amount of frui
produced is proportional to the rich
l. ness of the soil and the amount G
o moisture it can secure.
d The olive ripens in the late fa
s. and winter months AS soon as tn
II fruit is picked from the tree it
e taken to the cannery Every effol
lie is made to prevent bruising, as til
n ripe olive is very tender
For picking, the olive should hay
reached the stage when there is
= red blush on it, At that point it hi
attained practically it's full quota
ne oil and is in prime condition. TT
II, process takes from four to six week
Id deepnding upon the condition of Il
w. olives when received and the seaso
When the fruit is first brought to Il
plant it is properly graded and take
to the picking rooms Here it
dumped into watts and is covered f.
IT, two or three days with light sa
,t- brine. After this first soaking, it
10 subjected to various dimensions al
- DRAWINGS, and it is finally left in
ne salt brine for week or ten days.
After the olives are taken from Il
picking room they go over sortil
belts, where inspectors pick out Il
Of soft or inferior stock and at the san
49, time sort them for size and cole
an a. They are then put into cans, exhau
~ ed and sealed.