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The olive tree as a symbol
The graceful olive branch is a symbol of peace, probably because of the slowness of its growth. Its knarled trunk suggests strength and permanence and incites respect. A popular saying has it that an olive tree never dies. It is true that they have been seen to come to life again after having been ravaged by fire.
Origins
The family of the oleaces includes over 500 species found in 280 warm or temperate regions, mainly in Asia, Africa and tropical America. The wild olive grows between 1000 and 3000 m in the arid zone extending in an arc from Tibet to the Cap of Good Hope passing through Cachemire, Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia and South East Africa. This tree give small olives with little flesh which weigh about 0.1 g (50 to 100 times less than the cultivated olive). On the hillsides of the Mediteranean countries the olive trees that seem to grow wild are, in fact, the decendants of cultivated olives returned to the wild.
Culture
Olive trees have been grown since the Sumerians and were know in Egypt from the VIIth dynasty (2400 BC). They require a mediteranean climate of long dry, hot summers and mild winters with a lot of sunlight and temperatures above 12°C. The ripening of the olives requires strong sunlight. Winter rain does not both the robust tree which needs at least 200 mm of water. The olive tree thrives in most soils except those that are humid. Nevertheless they prefer stony soil where they give the best oil. Of the 5.5 million ha of olive trees that are cultivated throughout the world, a third can be found in the Mediteranean bassin, mainly in Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Syria.Rarely cultivated above 400 m., the olive tree can grow up to 12 m high although they are usually limited to 4 to 5 m for ease of picking. The trees flower in May-June but the olives do not ripen until the automn or early winter. The olive is green at the beginning of the development of the fruit and becomes violet and finally brown.
Harvest
In November green olives are harvested by manually or mechanically combing the branches or by mechanically shaking the branches - with a net beneath in each case. Black olives are harvested in the same way from November to January depending on the species and the region. Olives used for oil weigh between 1 and 5 g while those for the table weigh 5 and 15 g. A black olive gives 25 - 30 % of its pulp weight in oil.
Olive oil
"Virgin" olive oil is produced from olive that are not completely ripe and is obtained by simple by pressing. The residue is extracted with hot water or with caustic soda. Only "virgin extra" (up to 1% acidity) or "virgin" (up to 2% acidity) can be
sold for consumption. "Refine olive oil" (greater 3% acidity") is reserved for industrial uses and as a fuel.
Olive oil is extracted from the whole fruit including the nut. First the fruit are crushed in special mills. The resulting paste is spread on fibre mats which are piled one on the other and pressed. The juice that results is a mixture of oil and water which spontaneously separates. The dry residue after pressing is used as animal feed.
Olives
To be eaten as an hors-d'Suvre or a condiment green olives have to be deacidified by soaking in alkaline solution (potash or caustic soda). They are then preserved in brine. Black olives, naturally less acidic are usually soaked in water and the preserved in brine or dry salt. Olives can be crushed to obtain a puré which in the South West France is called "tapenade".
Growing and preparing your own olives
The sensitivity of the olive tree to the cold makes it essential to plant it in a well drained soil (even dry and stoney) exposed to the sun but protected from cold winter winds. Planting an olive tree is a highly symbolic gesture.
Green olives should be picked in November before they ripen. They are fragile and should be handled with care to avoid the appearance of brown marks.
To remove the bitterness soak the olives in 2% caustic soda solution for 8 to 10 hours at room temperature. Rinse them in fresh water for 2 days changing the water morning and evening. Finally place
then in brine initially at 5% (for two days) then 8%. The brine can be flavoured with laurel, lemon and spices. Olives preserved in this way should be stored in a closed container in a cool, dark place.
Black olives are picked ripe from December onwards. Less bitter, they can be directly soaked in brine at 8%.Some interesting links:
Olive Oil Source - the American olive industry
Greek Association of Olive Oil Produces - the Greek olive industry
