[Illustration: Sorting Olives for Size by Machine]
growers deliver fruit dry in lug boxes, but bruising and crushing are liable to occur during transportation. The fruit is delivered into a hopper filled with water, then from the hopper into boxes where the fruit is drained. The fruit is delivered in the factory to be first sorted which is done on a moving belt, and here all stems and defective fruit are removed as the fruit is carried slowly past the workers who sit or stand on either side. In some factories the sorting is done after the fruit is pickled, but is much more difficult due to the change in color
[Illustration: Sorting Olives for Quality by Hand]
through the action of the lye and of oxidation. The fruit is next passed to the grader, which separates the various sizes. From the grader the three largest sizes are each delivered to a moving belt to be sorted for color, degree of ripeness, and culls, as the curing must be modified to suit the particular degree of ripeness, a crisp firm olive requiring a heavier treatment than does a riper, softer-textured one. The olives as sorted, are passed to small side belts, which thus deliver fruit uniform in size and color to the receiving boxes. Great care is taken in the sorting of olives, different varieties are not mixed, nor even fruit of the same variety but from different localities. In grading for size by machine, 1/16 of an inch is the variation between each size and the next; those less than 10/16 are removed to be used for other purposes. When the minimum is due to the variety and not to stunting, the fruit may be pickled, because aside from the larger proportion of pit, the flavor is equal to that of the large fruit. Usually the smaller olives were used for oil, but more recently are used for relishes and sauces. The sizes upon which the different grades are made are based upon the short diameter of the fruit, and have been adopted by the California Olive Association:
Number Diam. in Grade per lb. inches Standard 120-135 10/16-11/16 Medium 105-120 11/16 Large 90-105 12/16 Extra Large 75-90 13/16 Mammoth 65-75 13.5/16 Giant 55-65 14/16 Jumbo 45-55 15/16 Colossal 35-45 16/16
The olives are placed in an alkaline solution, usually sodium hydrate as it is stronger in action than potassium hydrate. The strength varies with the different packers but is generally in the neighborhood of 1-1/2%. After 6 to 8 hours, the lye is drawn off and the olives exposed to the air in order that they may oxidize and darken, since the lye removes some of the natural color. The operation is repeated with the same strength or less of lye solution and the fruit exposed to the air until examination of the pulp shows that the lye has penetrated to the pit. The lye solution is then replaced with clear water which is changed twice a day, until the lye and bitterness are removed, which requires from 4 to 8 days. The olives are then treated with brine solutions, starting with 1%, and increasing the strength at intervals of about 2 days until about 4% is used, when they are ready to be put in glass jars or cans and sealed.