Olives
Care of Olive Trees
Planting:
The tree can be planted either when you get it or in mid to late March.
The tree can be planted in the ground or transplanted to a larger pot
(up to 15 gallons), if that is to be its home. Full sun is best. Plant
in well drained location using the existing soil only. Plant in raised
area that never has standing water and where there is good air flow
which reduces humidity. It is basically a desert plant that only
requires enough water to keep it alive. Most of the time, rain is
sufficient in Houston. It benefits from regular light fertilization.
Cold tolerance: Both varieties listed below withstand both the cold and heat of metro Houston.
Pruning: No pruning is needed.
Pickling Olives from Your Tree: "It is a very simple matter to pickle olives and all you need is a small wooden vat or barrel or an earthenware jar with an open top similar to a glazed bread crock, and if you are interested the following recipes may be of some assistance to you. Referring to all the following recipes, it is essential that when pickling, the olives must not be bruised in any way. Fruit must be picked just as the olive is turning color from green, that is when it shows a small patch of pinkish purple and is commencing to soften. Always cover the containers to exclude all light.
No. 1 Recipe. Place olives carefully in container, cover the olives with a caustic soda solution (3 oz. of caustic soda to 1 gallon purified or distilled water) for 40 to 48 hours (no longer), using a piece of flat, clean wood to keep them below the surface of the liquid. At the end of 48 hours pour off the caustic liquid, then cover with fresh purified or distilled water and continue the renewing and pouring off of the water twice daily, night and morning, for at least one week (until all caustic soda is eliminated.) Do not worry if olive is bitter to taste.
Next, mix well 1/2 lb. of salt to one gallon of purified or distilled water and cover the olives in this solution for a week, then drain. You then mix 3/4 lb. salt (12 oz.) to each gallon of purified or distilled water, cover for another week and drain again. You then place the olives into jars. A-Gee jars or similar. Place jars in tub of very hot water up to their necks and fill with a boiling brine solution (3/4 lb/ salt to one gallon of water) to overflowing and seal immediately. As the jars cool the rubber rings will seal the tin inner lids perfectly and the olives will keep indefinitely.
Recipe No 2. Place olives in vat and cover with a caustic soda solution (1 lb. caustic soda to five gallons of rainwater). Allow to stand for 18 to 20 hours, then pour off the dark brown liquid. Keep washing in rainwater until the water comes away clear, changing the water each day. This will take seven or eight days. Then bottle the olives in A-Gee jars or other suitable containers. Stand jars in tub of very hot water up to their necks and then pour boiling brine solution over olives to overflowing and seal immediately. This brine to be one cup of salt to 12 cups of rainwater.
Varieties of Olives Available at the January 17, 2009 Sale:
Arequina The Arbequina olive tree, which has weeping-form, and green leaves with a dark appearance, originated in Spain. It is a tree of small stature typically 15 feet in height at maturity. Earliest to bear fruit, usually at three years of age. Self-fertile. Used for oil or table fruit. It features black fruit, which will ripen in Mid-Fall. It resists frost and climate change well, and will produce excellent tasting olives.
Mission The Mission Olive tree was found growing in old Spanish missions in
