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UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIADivision of

Agriculture andNatural Resources

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu

Olives:S

afeMet

hods for Home i!"li#$

Revised by SYLVIA YA%A, Scientist, and LIN%A &' HARRIS, ExtensionSpecialist in icrobial !ood Safety, Depart"ent of !ood Science and#echnology, $% Davis, &or'ing fro" the original publication by(EOR(E YOR), (rofessor E"eritus, and REESE VAU(HN )deceased*,Depart"ent of !ood Science and #echnology, $% Davis.

*HAT ARE OLIVES+

#he olive tree, Olea europaea, valued for both its beauty and its fruit, hasbeen a part of editerranean civili+ation since before recorded history.

#he olive &as cultivated and its oil traded as early as --- .%.E. livesand olive oil have been used for food, coo'ing, "edicine, salve, soap,and la"p fuel.

#oday, "ost of the &orld0s olives are still gro&n in the editerraneanregion. #he olive tree is best suited to areas &ith a editerranean cli"ate1a long, hot gro&ing season and a relatively cool &inter. ostco""ercial olive acreage in the $nited States is in %alifornia, &ithgro&th concentrated in the interior valleys of %entral %alifornia.

!ive co""ercially i"portant olive varieties are gro&n in %alifornia:an+anillo, the "ost co""on variety2 ission, &hich &as originallycultivated by !ranciscan "on's2 and Sevillano, Ascolano, and arouni,&hich have very large fruit. ver 3- percent of %alifornia0s olives areused in the production of canned blac' ripe style or %alifornia blac' ripestyle olives2 the re"aining crop is crushed for olive oil or processed into

specialty styles of olives. any other popular table and oil olive varieties,including 4ala"ata, 5o6iblanca, and (icholine, are gro&n on a s"allerscale in orchards and ho"e gardens throughout %alifornia.

NUTRITION

lives and olive oil are good sources of "onounsaturated fat. live oilhas the highest percentage )over 7-8* of "onounsaturated fat of anyedible oil. lives and olive oil also contain other "inor co"ponents suchas pig"ents, 9avonoids, and phenolic co"pounds that act asantioxidants and "ay oer protective health bene;ts.

SELECTIN( FRESH OLIVES

Select only freshly harvested, unbruised olives for processing at ho"e.

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lives are haruency ofrinsing, and the volu"e of &ater you use. #he color of the rinse &ater &ill gradually change&ith each F&ashG1going fro" an olive green color to a lighter yello& to a pin' and then toclear &ater. Bhen &ashing is co"plete, drain the &ater fro" the olives. #hese olives "ust thenbe brined: for short

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%ar" ri0e st.le olives

%hoose green, stra&

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described in Step .

%over the olives &ith cold &ater. %hange the &ater t&o ti"es daily to &ash the olives )tore"ove lye*. After to days, begin to taste the olives daily until you can no longer taste thelye )lye tastes soapy*. #his &ashing step "ay ta'e as long as 7 or 3 days.

Drain the &ater, cover the olives &ith brine, and then let stand for days before eating.Dar' ripe style olives in light brine, "ade &ith ? ounces )@ level tablespoons* of pic'ling saltper gallon of &ater, can be refrigerated for up to &ee's in a tightly covered container. !or alonger shelf life, cover the olives &ith strong brine "ade &ith = pound )==L cups* of pic'ling saltper gallon of &ater1in this solution, the olives can be refrigerated for up to "onths in atightly covered container. efore eating, re"ove the olives you plan to eat and soa' the"overnight in &ater to re"ove excess salt, and "a'e sure to use the" &ithin days.

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LYE1CURE% FERMENTE% OLIVES

lives can also be cured using an initial lye treat"ent and then fer"ented in brine for several"onths. Acids produced in the fer"entation by lactic acid bacteria give these olives adistinctive 9avor and aro"a. #hese bacteria are naturally present on fresh olives but inconcentrations that "ay not be high enough for a successful fer"entation after the lyetreat"ent. A starter culture of lactic acid bacteria is generally added to the treated olives to

encourage the fer"entation. #he S0a#ish1st.le $ree# olive, the popular coc'tail olive, is lye

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Supplies needed

Creen or stra&

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(rotective e>uip"ent )rubber gloves, goggles, etc.1see sing ye &aely*

Hye )=--8 pure*

Hye

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in strong salt brines, prepare a "ediu"

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in this brine for 3 to M "onths. (repare very strong brine using about =L pounds )? cups* ofpic'ling salt per gallon of &ater. %over olives &ith the brine and let stand. After days, addan additional =- ounces )= cup* of pic'ling salt for each gallon of brine used, and "ix &ell.After t&o "ore days add another =- ounces )= cup* of pic'ling salt and "ix &ell. %over theolive container tightly for storage.

efore you eat these olives, soa' the" in fresh &ater: rinse and change the soa'ing &ater

four ti"es over a period of days.

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FREE>IN( OLIVES

ou can satisfactorily free+e olives that have a higher oil content )e.g., ission, 4ala"ata, and(icholine varieties* if they have been dry salt cured or lye cured, but other olive varieties softentoo "uch &hen you free+e the". Dry salt cured olives, prepared as described earlier, can bepac'ed directly into containers )see belo&* &ithout additional treat"ent. Hye

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%eh.drator dr.i#$

$nli'e sun drying, &hich depends on proper &eather conditions, dehydrator drying can bedone at any ti"e. #here is an initial expense involved &hen you buy a dehydrator, but "anypeople thin' that a dehydrator produces the bestuality dried food. An electric dehydratorcan "aintain lo&, even te"peratures, circulating the heated air by "eans of a blo&er or fan.ost dehydrators are e>uipped &ith ther"ostats to "aintain a constant te"perature, and

so"e have ti"ers. Harger units &ith "any shelves have roo" for "ore food than "ost ovens.Set the dehydrator te"perature at =?-!. Kf your dehydrator does not have a ther"ostat,

place an accurate, easy

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Usi#$ the ri$ht e?,i0me#t

Containers for canning

a'e sure all glass 6ars are free of crac's and chips. #hese defects &ill prevent airtight seals.Qars that are "anufactured speci;cally for ho"e canning are reco""ended. Class "ayonnaise6ars and si"ilar 6ars are not reco""ended for use in ho"e canning because they are not"anufactured for repeated heating and have a higher rate of brea'age, particularly in pressurecanners. Bash the 6ars in hot, soapy &ater and rinse the", or you can &ash the" in adish&asher.

Lids and rings

Select the correct si+e of lids to ;t your 6ars. Al&ays use ne& lids each ti"e you are canning.Ring bands can be reused if they are in good condition. Bash and thoroughly dry the ringsbefore you store the" and they &ill re"ain in good condition for years. !ollo& the"anufacturer0s instructions for pretreating the canning lids. etal lids have a sealingco"pound and usually need to be heated prior to use.

Filling jars

(repare a brine using ? ounces )@ level tablespoons* of pic'ling salt per gallon of &ater. 5eatthe brine to boiling. (ac' the prepared olives to the shoulder of the 6ar and cover co"pletely&ith the boiling brine, leaving a =L

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Choose a suitable rack

$se a rac' that is steady in the botto" of the canner. Do not use a solid piece of &ood or"etal. ou can use a shallo&, open&or'ed &ire rac' if the openings are narro& enough toprevent the 6ars fro" tilting. !or t&o layers of 6ars, use a second rac' set high enough toseparate the layers. !or s"all 6ars, use a rac' that is high enough to allo& at least inches of&ater in the botto" of the pressure canner1the 6ars should not be covered &ith &ater.

Use enough water in the canner

Bater is necessary to for" stea" for exhausting )venting* and pressuri+ing the canner. Bhenyou have your 6ars of food ready for canning, put the rac' and hot &ater into the canner. $seabout to inches of hot &ater in a dial gauge canner1this &ill be enough &ater to 'eep thecanner fro" boiling dry. $se an additional = to inches of &ater in &eighted gauge cannersthat continually vent stea" during the processing ti"e. Kt is all right for the &ater to co"e to&ithin inches of the tops of the cans or 6ars. #he a"ount of &ater you use &ill vary &ith theheight of the rac', the si+e and nu"ber of 6ars, and the dia"eter of the canner. 5eat the &aterto a si""er and 'eep it hot.

Venting the canner

Arrange the hot, ;lled 6ars ;tted &ith lids on the rac' in the canner so that they do not toucheach other or the canner &all. Securely fasten the canner0s lid according to the"anufacture0s instructions. pen the petcoc' or leave the &eight o the vent pipe. (lace thecanner over high heat and bring the &ater to a boil and allo& stea" to 9o& freely fro" thepetcoc' or vent pipe. 4eep the heat setting at high and let the stea" 9o& for at least -mi#,tes to FventG the canner. All of the air "ust be re"oved so that the te"perature &illrise as high as it should at a given stea" pressure.

Processing using a pressure canner

After venting the canner, close the petcoc' or place the &eight on the vent pipe. #he cannerpressure &ill rise during the next several "inutes. Start ti"ing the process &hen the&eighted

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(rocess olives pac'ed in brine for @- "inutes for pints or 7- "inutes for >uarts at thereco""ended pressure )see table *. %ontrol the heat to 'eep the pressure conuarts. After this cooling ti"e, no stea"should escape &hen the &eighted gauge is gently nudged. pen the vent pipe before youre"ove the cover of the canner. pen the lid a&ay fro" you to protect yourself fro" anyre"aining stea" that escapes.

Removing and storing jars

$se a 6ar lifter to re"ove the 6ars fro" the canner or hold a dishcloth over the top of each 6aras you lift it. (lace 6ars on a to&el, board, or cooling rac', not on a cold surface. ubbling inthe 6ars is nor"al1it is the sign of a good seal and "eans that the contents are boiling undervacuu". Do not tighten any loose ring bands after processing. Retightening "ay da"age theseal. Het the 6ars stand undisturbed for ? hours to cool co"pletely.

After ? hours, test each 6ar0s seal by pressing one ;nger on the "iddle of the lid1the lidshould stay depressed and should not "ove. !or 6ars &ith good seals, re"ove the ring bandsand &ipe the 6ars &ith a da"p cloth. Habel and date the 6ars and store the" in a cool, dar', dryplace. ou can expect to 'eep canned green or dar' ripe olives for = year if you have preparedthe" correctly. After that their >uality &ill begin to decline.

Stea" poc'ets fre>uently for" in the 9esh of olives that are ho"e canned in glass 6ars.Kf the poc'et for"ation is so extensive that the olives are honeyco"bed, they &ill lose

;r"ness, but this is a har"less defect.

Reprocessing

Qars that did not seal can be refrigerated and used &ithin a fe& days or you can reprocessthe" &ithin ? hours. #o reprocess, use a ne& "etal lid and chec' each 6ar for 9a&s. E"ptythe contents of the 6ar)s* into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. !ill clean, hot 6ars and processfor the full length of ti"e )@- or 7- "inutes* originally reco""ended.

%is0osal of s0oiled a#d ?,estio#a8le olives

otulis" is a food poisoning that can be fatal. Kt is caused by eating the poison produced bythe bacteriu" +lostridium botulinum, &hich can gro& in lo&

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Kf olives beco"e "oldy, soft, or bad s"elling at any ti"e during curing or preserving, donot eat the" or even taste the". Never taste canned olives that appear to be spoiled.%orroded lids, bulging or rusted containers, and 6ars &ith li>uid oo+ing fro" under the lid aresigns of canned food spoilage. Kf the contents of the 6ar appear "oldy, gassy, or have adisagreeable odor, discard the food carefully. Never feed spoiled or >uestionable olives toani"als or poultry: ani"als and birds can be sensitive to botulis".

efore discarding spoiled or >uestionable olives, you "ust detoxify the container and itscontents using the follo&ing procedure. Bearing intact rubber gloves, carefully re"ove the lidfro" each 6ar and place the 6ars )no "ore than to 6ars at one ti"e* containing spoiled foodon their side in an 3uart or larger stoc'pot, pan, or boilinguestionable food and beco"es ill, i""ediately contact your localhospital e"ergency roo", (oison %ontrol, or a doctor. Kf possible, save the 6ar of the>uestionable food for the health oIcials. #he classic sy"pto"s of botulis" include doublevision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, diIculty s&allo&ing, dry "outh, and"uscle &ea'ness. All of these are sy"pto"s of the "uscle paralysis caused by the bacterialtoxin. Kf untreated, these sy"pto"s "ay progress to cause paralysis of the ar"s, legs, andtrun', and the respiratory "uscles. Kn foodborne botulis", sy"pto"s generally begin =3 to @hours after eating a conta"inated food, but they "ay occur as soon as @ hours or as late as =-days after eating the food.

Approximate metric equivalents

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FREBUENTLY AS)E% BUESTIONS

*hat !a,se olives to softe#+

#he softening of olives during processing is a co"plex proble". So"evarieties, such as Ascolano and arouni, 6ust have a tendency to soften.ther co""on reasons for softening include )=* using overripe olives, )*

allo&ing pic'ed olives to overheat, )* the action of en+y"es duringprolonged storage of olives before processing, )?* using a lye solution thatis too strong or at too high a te"perature, and especially )* the action of"icroorganis"s such as "olds, yeasts, and bacteria.

So"e "olds and bacteria that gro& on the surface of storage brineproduce large

a"ounts of pectin

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in food pac'aging )co""only referred to as ood-grade plastic* be ofgreater purity than plastics used in nonue plastic buc'ets that containfood for hu"an consu"ption are "ade of food

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A%%ITIONAL RESOURCES

UC Food Safet. at $% Davis provides infor"ation about food safety and has lin's to resources on ho"e

food preservation.http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu

The Natio#al Ce#ter for Home Food reservatio# provides science

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONou &ill ;nd related infor"ation in these titles and in other publications, slide sets,

%Duest a printed catalog of publications, slide sets,%Duiries: danrcsWucdavis.edu

An electronic version of this publication is available on the ANR %o""unication Services Beb site at

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu.,8li!atio# 3;D

#his publication has been anony"ously peer revie&ed for technical accuracy by $niversity of %aliforniascientists and other >uali;ed professionals. #his revie& process &as "anaged by the ANR Associate Editorfor !ood and Nutrition.

X--7 by the Regents of the $niversity of %alifornia Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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