Cure your own OLIVES
How to cure olives the Greek way, including materials, photographs, instructions, processing, cooking and food ideas.
MEL WHITE
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One of the first things I noticed when I moved into my
apartment here in Chula Vista, California-a few miles south
of San Diego-was the fine old olive trees growing among the
landscaped shrubbery and lawns of the neighborhood.
"They're Mission olives," an old-time resident of the city
told me, "refugees from one of the many groves in this area
that have been ripped up and replaced by suburban
developments."
Olive trees, however-which have a very long life-don't stop
producing fruit just because they've become mere
decorations. Literally tons of olives go to waste in
southern California every year! Part of the crop, of
course, is consumed by starlings, one of the few birds that
will eat the bitter berries. The lush oval fruit also makes
super ammunition for the slingshot set (the ripe ones find
their target with a satisfying purple splat).
Few people try to harvest the olives, because they have a
dreadful taste fresh off the tree and must be processed in
one of several complicated ways. So most people just rake
them up and throw them away then pick up a can of the
"readymade" fruit at the supermarket.
Because I'm a frustrated farmer who wants to produce
something other than crab grass in his mini-yard, I decided
to try harvesting the luscious black olives hanging heavy
from the dozen or so trees near my apartment.
A little research into the art and science of preserving
olives, however, produced one clear message: Forget it! The
juicy black ones you buy in a can at the supermarket, I
learned, started their processing before they were ripe.
And, anyway, I didn't have room in my pad for all the
necessary crocks and vats.
Then I learned about Greek olives! You probably won't find
the delicacies in your grocery (I've only seen them in a
few specialized restaurants and delicatessens, and at very
high prices), and they're probably best classified as "an
acquired taste" for some people. But the shriveled,
slightly bitter "Greek cures" can be made from already-ripe
fruit.
The curing process is also easy, and the cost is next to
nothing when the olives are free.So, if you live in
southern California-or in any other semitropical area where
olive trees are grown just for their craggy beauty you may
want to try my method of harvesting and preserving their
fruit.
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