Olive Product Info Table Olives
Table Olives with a Difference
Olives, as they ripen naturally progress from a green ripe stage to a dark purple and then fully black ripe. As the fruit progresses through these ripening stages it becomes softer in texture and the colour in the case of the purple and black stages penetrates deeper into the flesh of the olive. As a result of the de-bittering process some of the dark pigments are leached out of the fruit making the purple/black olives lighter in colour. The extent of the colour loss is directly proportional to the depth of colour in the flesh when harvested. This results at times in some variations of colour from a pale to fully black olive, which in no way affects the eating quality of the product.
Depending on the stage of ripeness when harvested green fruit can take up to 12 months to process and black fruit may take 4 to 6 months to de-bitter and fully ferment.
Olives supplied to Summerland Olive are hand harvested and graded by the growers, who must meet a supply specification, which outlines varieties required, the pre & post harvest handling of olives and the delivery guidelines.
Summerland Olives produce a range of Black and Green table olives, depending on the season variety and quantities of each type varies. We use a process that is CHEMICAL FREE and therefore time consuming. This process retains the natural flavour of olives so often missing from the chemical processing methods being used to achieve a quick to the marketplace product. Over time the brine leaches the bitterness from the fruit. Batches are monitored during the process to check the levels of bitterness and to ensure a we produce a safe editable olive.
Once fermented and the level of bitterness reaches an acceptable level the process is complete. This method of processing ensures the product has a long shelf life. Batch samples are then collected and sent for microbiological analysis prior to packaging. After the test results confirm a safe product has resulted the olives are hand sorted and packaged in the final brine mix then the olives and the brine are pasteurised, vacuum-sealed and labeled ready for sale.
Packaged olives have a shelf life of 12 months and best, consumed with-in 1 month of opening.