The Mission Olive Tree

These trees were originally brought to the US and planted at the many missions that color the California countryside. The missions pickled the fruit, made olive oil and used the oil to cook, light their lamps and annoint the faithful. The fruit of a Mission olive is medium-sized and oval in shape. As the olives ripen, the skin turns from a yellow-green to red, then to purple and finally, black. The Mission olives ripen rather late in the season, from late December through late January. The tree itself is rather masculine in form, growing very tall. These trees tend to bear heavily in alternating years; one year a very heavy crop and the next year a very light crop.

Flavors

The flavor of Mission oil is as varied as the olive oil producer. Some olive oil makers harvest in November while the fruit is still green. This results in an oil that is very green in flavor and smell (think fresh cut grass or green beans). Other producers wait until late January to harvest. This will create an olive oil that is much smoother and sweeter than the early harvest oils. We try to harvest our Mission olives at all points of ripeness, from very green to very black, to ensure a wide range of flavors and smells.