California's "olive belt" (Ontario, Visalia: neighborhood, live in, food)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Where most of California's come from.

About the Olive Industry - California Ripe Olives

I think canned olives are on the bland side.

[blueskywalker]

Mouldy Old Schmo, you're a gem. I can tell.

[nightlysparrow]

That article is wrong in saying that there are only 2 olive canneries in California, as there's a great one in Ontario in SoCal, Graber Olives, started in 1894. It sits in a residential neighborhood, is open to visitors, is family-run, and the olives are so, so good:

Graber Olive House

[BeauCharles]

Yep, we've got a lot of olive orchards around Oroville. Most are quite old - some from the early 1900s. I read a story about one that is several hundred acres near Table Mountain and it was more or less abandoned for several decades. The trees are so well adapted to this climate that they survived the neglect (no watering, pruning or fertilizing) just fine until some new people bought it. Oh, there is a cannery here as well (Ehmann Olive Co.)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

I remember seeing Lindsay brand olives on supermarket shelves years ago. That and the pimento-stuffed olives were the only styles I knew until I discovered marinated olives.
I don't recall seeing California olive oil in the supermarket. It must be a boutique thing.

[mrsltd]

La Mirada, where I live, used to be a center for olive production. Even had cans with the name "La Mirada" on them.

[Hawk J]

We have stopped around Corning, for olives & olive oil.....

Olive Pit - Gourmet Olives, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Wine and Craft Beer

Corning Olive Oil - High Quality Artisinal Olive Oil and Vinaigrettes

Olive Pit - 227 Photos - Specialty Food - Corning, CA - Reviews - Menu - Yelp

[Curmudgeon]

My former wife's grandfather and uncles grew hundreds of acres of olives for Lindsay in the Tulare, Visalia, and Lindsay areas. When her last uncle died about three years ago he passed the family farms/ranches to his employees, a number of whom had worked for the family for 40-50 years.

[eureka1]

Corning is great. Love the "olive bar" at Granzella's. We have our own olive maker up here, makes o/o too. http://www.henrysolives.com/

[SeaOfGrass]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

That article is wrong in saying that there are only 2 olive canneries in California, as there's a great one in Ontario in SoCal, Graber Olives, started in 1894. It sits in a residential neighborhood, is open to visitors, is family-run, and the olives are so, so good:

Graber Olive House

I've been there, too. It's a nice place. The olives are so good, I've given them as gifts (they sell gift baskets, etc.).

Ralph's actually sells them in their store, although it seems like it's on an on-again/off-again basis.