I'm not in favour of old Olive trees being torn from their native Italian hillsides, and transplanted into chic bourgeois homes in The Cotswolds, Périgord, and elsewhere. However, a certain person from my family did buy one, and I now have to accept it as part of our garden.
OK; it's now there, and as it produces fruit, then they need to be preserved, and the person to ask about such things is our Greco/Kiwi friend from http://local-kiwi-alien.blogspot.com/ who knows all about such things.
I followed her advice, and above is a part of the result of our last year's crop (which we ate last night).
They are OK; no more. They could have been a tad saltier, much bigger (I can't do much about that), and more flavoursome. However, they are pleasant, moreish, and (most importantly) home made.
I was looking forward to a second crop this year, but our tree is fruitless. Next year!
Overall score: 6/10.
I have an old tree right at the door, this year it is full of olives, they are still green and small, it seems to me that only in November they will be ready for harvesting.
ReplyDeleteYou must know a lot more than me about such things. I picked mine when they just starting to turn colour from their original green. I suppose it all depends on what type of Olives one wants.
Delete6 C here this morning. From having got up in just shorts for the past couple of months, it comes as a shock. I even wore a beret for my morning walk!
ReplyDelete30 31 Today and all week, sometimes I'm sorry that my ancestors didn't stay in Europe, I miss another weather.
DeleteI've never eaten a fresh olive straight off the tree, only salty preserved ones.
ReplyDeleteYou can't eat them 'fresh' from the tree, they have to be processed. After breaking the flesh, the bitterness has to be washed out of them by changing water every day for 2 weeks, then they are put into a brine.
DeleteHopefully practice makes perfect, but you have to wait a long time till you can try again.
ReplyDeleteI must say, even though I only gave them 6/10, I was very impressed with my handywork. I can't wait to do them again; this time next year.
DeleteThey look nothing like the olives we buy. By your description of their raw taste, I guess they are safe from birds.
ReplyDeleteActually, the first year the tree produced fruit, they all disappeared on the same day. I think the Magpies had them.
DeleteWhen we had our 5 acre property further north we had two olive trees. We let the pheasants enjoy them. It was worth it to see the pheasants.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind if Pheasants ate them, unfortunately the hunters eat the Pheasants first!
DeleteIf they didn't taste of Dettol that's something. I don't like olives. You might have guessed.
ReplyDeleteThey tasted of Olives OK, but not as intense as the ones I usually buy. I don't think they're the right variety.
DeleteI feel sorry for all the potted old olive trees parked outside fancy restaurants here, miles away from home.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to see all the garden centres with dozens of ancient trees that will probably die. It's a silly fashion.
DeleteI’m afraid to say that I have two small olive trees in pots !!!! We’ve had them for years and they are small, spindly and pretty much non productive !!! I think we had a few tiny olives on them once that just shrivelled up and dropped off ! I hope that I’m not a disappointment ?!! At least you have produced some edible olives. XXXX
ReplyDeleteYes, I was quite excited to have made my own edible Olives. The year before I tried, and they were hopeless.
DeleteI have never seen olives like that. Even though they didn’t turn out as good as you hoped, I am sure you had fun making them.
ReplyDeleteThey look 'browner' than they actually were. They were a slight brownish green. Very small, but pleasant to eat.
DeleteMaybe you didn't get enough rain this year. That would account gof them being small. By the way, I just heard on radio that EU has sent the princely sum of half a million euros to the Bahamas Hurricane fund. Our one euro apiece is on the way to those who need it, Cro. Thought you'd be glad to know. ;-/
ReplyDeleteI've just been listening to some 'aid worker' saying that people in the Bahamas need 'water, food, shelter. and medical supplies'. Well, surprise surprise! What they don't need are over paid idiots quoting the bloody obvious!
DeleteThousands could be missing and unaccounted for according to a report yesterday. Looking at the photos of the wreckage I wouldn't be surprised if many have been swept out to sea or simply tossed into the maelstrom . food for the sharks. Many at the EU trough are on more than half a million per annum with all their perks, directorships, pensions, and freebies.
DeleteLove olives. I have a recipe that you can warmed jar olives in a pan with herbs, I need to look it up again very tasty.
ReplyDeleteparsnip
We eat Olives almost daily, either in cooking, or as an accompaniment to early evening drinks.
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