Posted on 10/14/2011 3:49:19 PM PDT by FoxPro
I apologize for the vanity posting, but I am at the end of my rope on this. And that leads me to ask this question to the smartest people in the world, the people that read and post articles to the Free Republic website.
You cant buy fresh "off the tree" olives anywhere, that I can find, in California. And they are everywhere. I was up in Napa and Sonoma Valley last week, and there are olive trees everywhere. We drove all over the place, to every produce stand we could find. Nobody sells uncured olives.
The thing is, I have done just about everything, with food. I have cured my own sauerkraut, for instance (with caraway seeds). But I have never cured olives, and I am keen to do so.
So if anybody can explain to me, why, in a place where olive trees are legion, I cant actually get my hands on some fresh ones, I would really appreciate it.
Does anybody know where I can buy uncured olives in the northern or greater Los Angeles area, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks Foxpro
Have you tried growing your own? Just wondering.
You are not allowed to eat unprocessed foods.
If you were, ADM would lose the monopoly on food it bought from Congress.
not in El Ley, but up in Corning there are olives all over the place.
I think you should ask the moderator to move this to breaking...
I wonder if there are “regulations” you know to protect us dumb sheep from buying olives from the trees?
I’m in L.A. as well. I do the “fresh grown” thing but have never heard of olives. Saved your handle. I’ll ask around.
Probably not enough people want them to support a ‘market’... Aren’t they somewhat difficult to cure? And make a person sick if it’s not done right? Or are these old wives tales?
I posted this in chat.
I’m not an olive person but why do they have to be cured? Can’t you just pick them off of a tree and eat them?
A lot of the Catholic Churches in East Bay have olive trees. Just go in, ask the pastor n pick`em.
You need to know how to cure them. The lye you need cannot be bought in California either. Usually People have a favorite tree somewhere and keep a eye on them until ripe. Queen Annes are the best but hard to find. Well worth the work to cure them.
See this www.greatolives.com out of Orland CA
I believe there is a non-lye method for curing.
http://homecooking.about.com/od/fruitrecipes/r/blfruit38.htm
“Have you tried growing your own? Just wondering.”
Plant, wait twenty years, harvest. No problem.
Olives off the tree are sour, bitter, and extremely unpleasant. They take quite a month to cure without chemicals and are labor intensive. With chemicals it is faster (about 4 days) but more hazardous. It is worth the effort if you like olives, though.
No one eats olives off the tree. They are incredibly bitter and foul-tasting.
In ancient times, olives were never eaten at all, they were grown solely for pressing into olive oil. Olives became a food item only when people discovered that they could be cured by a long process of brining.
Tried contacting Oberti or Lindsay?
Thats it, and a good price.
It is only an 8 hour drive away from LA.
If you find an olive tree, remember, the moment an olive leaves the tree, it begins to deteriorate. Fruit should be processed within 24 hours, which is probably why you can’t find olives at your local store.
Try around Corning Ca, the olive capital of the world. Most of the orchards are privately owned and the owners would be happy to sell to you. The obvious question is why do you want them? There are a thousand different ways to cure olives and the olive plants in that area know them all.
The best olive oil in the world comes from that area.
Good luck.
Thanks for the explanation. Grew up on a farm in Kansas and I don’t recall that we ever took time or space to grow anything on a tree or bush that couldn’t be eaten in its natural state. Maybe one of the reasons why Kansas isn’t known for olives.
Everyone has their breaking point.
A guy can only take so much.
Doing weird stuff with food is my hobby.
Dont hate me because of this. lol
When I lived in California, I remember seeing olive trees on the grounds of the Santa Barbara Mission. Maybe the friars would sell you some for a nominal donation to their order. Who knows.
There was (and probably still is) a shop on Main Street in the Santa Ynez Valley town of Solvang that sells olive oil and all kinds of products related to olives.
If you have a friend that lives in the La Crescenta, La Canada, Sunland, Sun Valley areas you might get access to a tree that way. Most people would not object to your picking the messy fruit.
This is encouraging.
What folks are saying about Orland is true. Olives everywhere. There is even a CalTrans rest area that is full of un-harvested olive trees.
Unfortunately for you, it’s at the other (good) end of the state.
“I’m not an olive person but why do they have to be cured?”
I didn’t even know they were sick.
I sure wish you’d come and pick mine. Sometimes my mower throws ‘em, they stain the sidewalk when stepped on, and the oil makes the lawn slippery when I play ball with my grandson.
Where are you at?
Martinez Roses
1321 South Kirby Street, San Jacinto, CA 92582-6960
(951) 654-9898 ()
He has a big tree and will let you pick as many as you want for free.
I don’t know how anyone eats olives. Gawd, they’re nasty.
“No one eats olives off the tree. They are incredibly bitter and foul-tasting.”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
This reminds me of what I’ve been trying to teach my two young nephews- when you write, you NEVER state ‘absolutes’ unless you’re really sure.
When I lived in Hollywood Florida, my neighbor Gino DePalma loved raw olives, fresh off the tree.
He also grew his own grapes, and after pressing, added no other ingredients to make his wine.
Go on line and see what you find. Farmers markets and receipes for curing, that sort of thing.
I have lychee, key lime, lemon, orange and coffee. Might be time to add an olive. You make it sound worth the time. Thanks for sharing...
Thank you - I needed a laugh after a tough week.
I’m here all week. Remember to tip your waitress. ;o)
Menifee, which may be too far for you. 30 miles south of Riverside. No olives this time of year.
“a man plants grapes for his children, but he plants olives for his grandchildren”....somebody says...
I heard somewhere or read somewhere that we Americans use olives entirely different than the people in Italy....there, they use olives and olive oil as an ingredient to be added to other dishes....here, we eat them as an extra.....
I tried making my own saurerkraut in a crock...once...and once I acutally pickled pigs feet....I’ve also cut up woodchuck and served it in a rice dish for my inlaws...of course, I didn’t tell them that I did that....lol...
315 E. Fourth Street • Ontario, CA 91764 • Phone 800-996-5483
http://www.amazon.com/Graber-Olives-Size-7-5-oz/dp/B000P8HPCI
12 reviews, 11 of ‘en 5 star
I bet you told them it was chicken.
“Can’t you just pick them off of a tree and eat them?”
Sure, if you want to get sick and possibly die. Olives must be cured before you eat them. Also, it helps to have the pit/seed removed before eating. You can shatter your teeth biting into an olive that still has the pit inside.
Well, that’s the pits.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.