Peru’s purple olives soaked in history
By Maricel E. Presilla,
On my first trip to Peru many years ago, I was captivated by the country’s black olives. Juicy, meaty and flavorful, they were a far cry from the rubbery California black olives of U.S. salad bars and a welcome change from the sharp, briny green Manzanilla olives I grew up eating in Cuba.
They reminded me of Greek kalamata olives, my favorite until that time, but they were larger, softer, more purple in color and mellower in taste. Peruvians call them aceitunas de botija for the clay jars (botijas) in which they were stored when olive-growing and -curing began in Peru in the 16th century.
They are served as appetizers with cocktails like the pisco sour and used to garnish emblematic dishes like papas a la huancaina, boiled potato slices blanketed in creamy fresh cheese and walnut sauce; and causa a la limena, a molded potato purée with a savory filling.
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Posted in Articles, Central | South America by: Olives101
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Olive oil output falls for first time in West Australia
By Suellen Jerrard,
Olive oil production in West Australia is expected to slow this year for the first time since the fledgling industry got off the ground about a decade ago.
Falls in production around the State are being attributed to the tendency for olive trees to fruit to their full potential only every second year as well as weather conditions and pruning.
The biggest falls are in the South-West where output is tipped to be as much as 50 per cent down on last year.
WA Olive Council president John Wholley said a poor fruit-set due to a warm winter seemed to have exacerbated the downturn from alternate fruiting in the South-West.
Mr Wholley said he picked 40-50kg of fruit from each tree in his Margaret River grove last year but he would be lucky to get four to five olives per tree this year. Other groves had also been hit but some were doing well.
He said it was likely production would slow across the State, if not fall.
WA last year produced an estimated 16,000 tonnes of olives and 2100 tonnes of olive oil worth about $11.5 million. Australia produced about 72,000 tonnes of olives and 12,000 tonnes of oil last year.
Posted in Australia | NZ, Olive Oil, Olive Tree by: Olives101
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Texas Olive Ranch’s Texas Extra Virgin Olive Oil
By Karen Haram,
Extra-virgin olive oil from Carrizo Springs? You’d better believe it.
Texas Olive Ranch’s Texas Extra Virgin Olive Oil is now being carried at Central Market. The golden-hued oil is made by cold-pressing the Arbequina olives from Carrizo Springs, producing a buttery rich oil with a strong peppery finish. The bottle’s label describes the oil as “smooth and balanced,” citing its low acidity and fragrance. Our tasters liked it both as a dressing for fresh greens, and for dipping artisan bread.
The oil sells for $13.99 for the 14.3-ounce bottle.
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Posted in Olive Oil, Texas by: Olives101
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A L’Olivier Huile D’Olive a Tartiner au Citron
Here’s something you don’t see every day, a product that gives itself a makeover.
It starts off as one thing, and then changes into something better, at first glance, this dairy substitute doesn’t look particularly appealing in a good light, it resembles lemon curd; from an unflattering angle it squawks ‘chicken fat’ so our hopes weren’t high as we got out the French loaf and put the spread to the bread.
Sure enough, its taste matched its uninviting appearance. Straight out of the tub, spreadable olive oil, this brand, at least turns out to be inert and oily, with a discordant note of lemon.
However, part 2 of this story is very different.
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Posted in Health, North America, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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California Olive oil: for love or money
By Tina Caputo,
California olive oil history dates back hundreds of years to the late 1700s, when the first olive trees were brought over from Spain. As the industry grew, olive trees became a common sight in Northern California and the Central Valley, and olive oil processing mills began opening to meet demand for the golden nectar.
According to Paul Vossen, UCCE farm advisor for Marin and Sonoma counties, California is now home to 11 olive oil processing mills, ranging in annual production size from 4,000 to 150,000 gallons each, as well as several smaller mills. “Production has been steadily increasing each year, except for 2000-01 when there was a very small crop,” Vossen said. Since 1996-97, California olive oil production has increased from 123,000 gallons to 400,000 gallons in 2002-03.
This growth caught the attention of California wineries during the 1990s, and dozens began planting olive trees with oil production in mind. “Wineries account for about 12-15% of the state’s annual extra virgin olive oil production,” said Patricia Darragh, executive director of the Berkeley-based California Olive Oil Council (COOC).
Though she couldn’t confirm the total number of wineries that are currently producing olive oil, Darragh said that more than two dozen have been certified by the COOC. “There is a dramatic increase in production by wineries, year over year,” she said. “The industry overall is growing dramatically and many more wineries are becoming involved.”
Thanks to the efforts of wineries like B.R. Cohn, Preston Vineyards, Joseph Phelps Vineyards and Wente Vineyards, high-end California olive oil is making a name for itself on the national gourmet food scene. But is producing olive oil worth the effort?
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Posted in Articles, California, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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