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COMMON QUESTIONS
1.- How are the olives picked from the trees?
They are carefully hand-picked by men on high ladders, and packed into baskets called "macacos".
2.- Why do the best olives come from Spain?
94% of the green olives imported to the U.S. today come from Spain. "Spain" is to the olive what "Columbia" is to the coffee bean. The country’s soil (in the South where the finest olives are grown) is red and rich both in clay and chalk and retains moisture. The soil quality combined with a warm, sunny climate creates the most delicious olive that can be grown.
3.- How long has Spain been exporting olives?
Olives have been cultivated since Biblical times; they were first exported in 1567.
4.- What determines whether there will be a good olive crop each year in Spain?
The climate in May, when the trees are in blosson, is the key to the success of the crop. If the wind is too strong or the weather too cold, the harvest will be small.
5.- How many types of Spanish table olives are there?
There are two basic types of Spanish table olives. The Queens and Manzanillas. Both can be bought pitted, plain, or stuffed.
6.- What size are the Manzanilla olives?
The Manzanillas are smaller than the Queen olives. The size in which the Manzanilla olives are classified are as follows: 180/200, 200/220, 240/269, 280/300, and 340/360. These numbers represent the numbers of olives which are contained in a kilo (i.e. 240/260 means that a kilo will contain approximately 250 Manzanilla olives). Manzanilla olives are sold in the proportion of 80% stuffed with peppers, 10% without stone, and 10% with stone.
7.- Is it true that the larger the olive, the sweeter the meat of the flesh?
In fact, the smaller Manzanillas are known to be the most delicious.
8.- What is the average crop from a Manzanilla olive tree?
At present, with the irrigated system, 88 lbs. is the average crop from a tree, but in good years it can be as many as 150 or 200 lbs.
9.- What is the difference between a table olive and an olive which is used for making only fine olive oil?
To start with, the trees are different ... you can tell by the leaves. Manzanilla olive trees have clear green leaves, Queen olive trees have silvery green leaves, and olive trees for olive oil have small, dark green leaves and bear smaller fruit, which gives a high olive oil yield (each 220 lbs. of these olives produces 24/25 lbs. of olive oil), whereas the Manzanilla olives give much less oil. The oil of the Manzanilla olives is of a fine quality, but is not economical to produce. The least oil per kilo comes from the fat Queen olives.
10.- When are the olives gathered?
The olives are picked by hand and the season starts in September and goes on sometimes until the end of November.
11.- How long does it take before an olive tree bears a satisfactory amount of fruit?
At least 10 years, under good conditions and modern irrigation systems. The best production years are when the tree is between 30 and 70 years old.
12.- When did Spain begin stuffing olives with Pimientos?
Pepper or pimiento stuffed olives were introduced in Spain in 1895. They were exported to the U.S. in 1896.
13.- What is "place" and "thrown" packing?
"Place" packing is when the olives are arranged in layers in the jar, showing the pimiento stuffing. "Thrown" packing is as one would imagine, when the olives are put in the jars as they fall, then covered with brine and sealed.
14.- Once a jar of olives is opened, is there any way of keeping the olives really fresh?
Yes. Olives are best kept in the refrigerator. Place slices of lemon on the top of the olives, floatng on the brine. This will stop oxidation and they will keep for a further six months. Also adding a few drops of lemon juice to the brine helps to keep them fresh.
15.- Can you freeze olives?
Yes. It is a good idea, especially if you have no room to keep them in the refrigerator. Rinse the olives well to remove salt. Pack in polyethylene containers covering the olives with water. Freeze for up to six months. Thaw covered in refrigerator, keep refrigerated once thawed and use within three weeks.
16.- Why are olives salty tasting?
The salt that is added acts as a natural preservative. The saltiness can be reduced by rinsing or soaking the olives in water before serving.
17.- What are those white spots doing on my Queen Olives?
Whenever there is a harvest, and the olives are coming in from the field and are extremely dried, the Queens with more sugar have a very strong fermentation process, with results in those white spots. In years when we receive a bit of rain prior to harvesting, Queens show no sign of spots.
18.- Do Branded Olives utilize better fruit than private label?
No. The olives come from the same tree and only first quality is permitted to be shipped from Spain.
19.- What is the retail seasonality of Olives?
SALES PERIOD CASES SOLD
Jan – Mar 15%
Apr – June 20%
July – Sept 17%
Oct – Dec 48%