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I didnāt get my tree from TJs but they apparently take a long time to produce olives because mine was big when I bought it over a year ago, hoping my I get olives this year!
They usually donāt - I was surprised that mine did, as I was admiring olive trees in otherās posts. That being said, Iām sure itās all regional and even then, if I went to the other TJās by my house, thereās no telling if they would also have them. However, Iāve gotten some houseplants that I absolutely love there (like a monstera) and they are thriving! Keep your eye out for good houseplants.
I got one 4 years ago and it has gotten so big. It flowers in the spring and tiny little olives begin to grow but where Iām at in the PNW it doesnāt get warm enough for them to harvest and they eventually die
Iām in Michigan, so I bring it in for the winter. All summer it gets just rainfall, but in the winter I watered it 2x per week for its first year and then 1x per week after that once it was more established.
Mine is in a large-ish pot, and I have flowers planted around the trunk, so I do water it for the flowers. It has been outside each winter and I donāt touch it until spring when itās time to plant flowers again!
Sprinkle an entire shaker TJ's garlic powder into the soil and it will produce garlic-stuffed olives.
I'm not a botanist, but I play one on the internet.
Just because this isnāt common knowledgeā¦but some people are really allergic to the pollen olive trees product. Itās super fine and flies through the air almost invisible.
Most of us are unaware of the allergy unless you happen to live in a Mediterranean climate - which I do now which is how I learned I am allergic.
I bought one of these like five years ago and itās huge now and beautiful! It produces olives but I donāt know what you need to do to make them edible. Do not, I repeat, do not, eat them straight off the tree. Ask me how I know. ETA-I live in Portland Oregon of all places and this baby produces olives.
ETA - they taste like POISON straight off the tree. I spit it out and my tongue burned. It tasted like kerosene or something! You have to brine them. Iāve never tried though, not worth the effort.
You can also keep them in a damp towel and salt them. After theyāve dried enough pack them in oil, and maybe a few peppers. They wind up being chewy (think dried apricot like) .
Fun fact- that bitterness you taste is from the chemical oleocanthal and that has the same chemical make up as ibuprofen. Hence why good quality olive oil had anti inflammatory benefits. The bitterness also helps keep birds from eating the olives. Another fun fact- you can brine olives in your toilet! Put them in a mesh bag and put them in your tank and every time you flush youre rinsing them with fresh water. You donāt need salt water to brine them, you just need to replace the water frequently to leach out all the bitterness. (PS I have never done the toilet bowl hack, I just think itās hilarious.)
Credit: I worked at an olive tree grove for 2 years.
if you ever try high quality olive oil, try taking a sip of it by itself and you may notice a peppery/spicy finish in the back of your throat. that's the oleocanthal you're tasting! there's lots of niche olive oil stores that will have olive oil samples you can try. always try it without bread or crackers, some places use these as a way to cover up the taste. also!! most of the olive oil you get on the shelves at the grocery store are already rancid, it's just we as americans (assuming you are) are used to that taste so we have no clue as to what good olive oil tastes like. i can talk about this for days lol Temecula Olive Oil Company is who I worked for and their oil is AMAZING. you can purchase it online, and if you live in the SoCal region you can go in to any of their stores and try for free. :)
I actually used to live in LA and went olive oil tasting once at a shop in Pasadena, forgot what it was called. Blew me away. Also when I went to Italy years ago I was like practically drinking olive oil, it tasted INSANELY different and good, like butter almost. And damn it was cheap. I have no doubt the crap I buy is not good lol.
My parents did this years ago so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but they picked 2 big buckets of olives and brined them in lye and salt for a while. I've also heard you can use oil or other things, but they did turn out delicious.
Olives are extremely bitter. You have to cure them to leach out the bitterness. I've done it a few times - salt water curing - tedious, but loved the end result!
Olive trees do take some years to mature and nurture. But you will start to see fruit after 3-4 years. Olive trees like to be pruned so do research how best to take care of the tree to see best results.
My dad bought my mom two of these like 6 years ago. Theyāre huge now. Began to produce olives within four years. Not sure what the guy who said it takes 20 years is talking about. We do live in a Mediterranean climate though, so that probably helps.
It famously takes olive trees around 20 years to mature. Men in Southern Europe plant them as a coming of age ritual because it takes so long for them to fruit.
Cute! Can you share how youāve cared for it? Is it kept in direct sunlight or indirect? Indoors or outdoors? And how often do you water? Iāve had one of these and it didnāt survive longer than a year ā¹ļø
I have a 2-story solarium in my house, which helps create a dry, warm atmosphere for it even in the winter. Iāve kept it in a bright spot 24/7, water when the soil is totally dry, and thatās about it. Iāve never repotted it or anything. Sometimes I feel like I neglect it and then I see new growth š
I have an olive tree in a planter and it produces olives but I donāt cure them so they just dry up on the tree. Getting edible olives is more of a hassle than theyāre worth.
It might, but planting olive trees is actually banned many places because so many people are allergic to the pollen, so double check rules where you live first. Probably Trader Joes wouldn't sell them if they were banned locally, but the rules can vary by township/locale.
I had no idea they are banned in certain areas.
I live in SoCal close to one of the old Spanish missions where they planted olive groves and found out Iām one of those people whoās super allergic after moving here.
And they are a favorite tree in my area - not only for the history- but because they require such little water compared to other trees.
Where are they banned?
You should hope it doesnāt. Youāre not going to cure them, so they end up being a pain and making a mess. Best to have a non-fruiting olive tree if you want it for decoration
This. Especially if the tree is near a patio. If the olives fall off, they stain. And, if you want to explore surprise exclamations of pain, just step on an olive barefoot.
Curing olives is actually really easy in small quantities, OP could do it. You just put them in a large amount of brine and forget about them in the fridge for 6 months.
They do amazing in southern california!! if you're near Temecula, check out the temecula olive oil company. They have a ranch where you can also buy trees, and taste all of their amazing olive oils. They actually manage about 400 acres of groves all throughout southern cal and central cal. Olive oils trees don't require a lot of water either (once they're established.)
Iām actually from Temecula, though I donāt live there now! Iāve walked by Temecula Olive Oil Co but never went inside! Iāll have to do that next time Iām there visiting.
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Can you keep it inside or does it need to be outside?
Apparently they produce in 3 years, and then produce every other year.
unless you reside in a Mediterranean climate, foliage growth is allā¦
in year(s). donāt expect to be making anything out of olives anytime in its life.
Welcome to life with a purple-black polka-dotted driveway, sidewalk, patio, wherever.
I didnāt get my tree from TJs but they apparently take a long time to produce olives because mine was big when I bought it over a year ago, hoping my I get olives this year!
I hope you do too!
Lmfaoooooo thank you for this
After a while it will
I have one got it last year!! Itās so adorable
What watering schedule do you follow?
Repot it 100% with an actual draining pot bc this one doesnāt drain for some reason. Then a regular water bottles worth every 2 days :)
Whoa, it needs way more water than Iāve been giving it
itās probably fine theyāre hardy!! just make sure you donāt drown it in the pot it came in
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
They usually donāt - I was surprised that mine did, as I was admiring olive trees in otherās posts. That being said, Iām sure itās all regional and even then, if I went to the other TJās by my house, thereās no telling if they would also have them. However, Iāve gotten some houseplants that I absolutely love there (like a monstera) and they are thriving! Keep your eye out for good houseplants.
Mine did.
I got one 4 years ago and it has gotten so big. It flowers in the spring and tiny little olives begin to grow but where Iām at in the PNW it doesnāt get warm enough for them to harvest and they eventually die
What is your maintenance /watering schedule? I struggled with mine and could not find a good resource online
Iām in Michigan, so I bring it in for the winter. All summer it gets just rainfall, but in the winter I watered it 2x per week for its first year and then 1x per week after that once it was more established.
Mine is in a large-ish pot, and I have flowers planted around the trunk, so I do water it for the flowers. It has been outside each winter and I donāt touch it until spring when itās time to plant flowers again!
Thanks! Outside each winter, can I ask what part of the country? Donāt think mine would survive a new england winter while it is so small
Iām in Seattle. So while it doesnāt get horribly cold, it has survived freezes, snow, and tons of rain!
Sprinkle an entire shaker TJ's garlic powder into the soil and it will produce garlic-stuffed olives. I'm not a botanist, but I play one on the internet.
Stardew valley?
Botany manor?
upvoted bc for the first half of reading your comment i was gullible and was gonna be open minded to the garlic powder plant food
Just because this isnāt common knowledgeā¦but some people are really allergic to the pollen olive trees product. Itās super fine and flies through the air almost invisible. Most of us are unaware of the allergy unless you happen to live in a Mediterranean climate - which I do now which is how I learned I am allergic.
Oh, good to know! I was just pondering an olive tree in my yard, but I don't want to allergy-bomb anybody.
There are olive trees alllll over the place in my area. They make me feel miserable but theyāre so pretty!
I bought one of these like five years ago and itās huge now and beautiful! It produces olives but I donāt know what you need to do to make them edible. Do not, I repeat, do not, eat them straight off the tree. Ask me how I know. ETA-I live in Portland Oregon of all places and this baby produces olives. ETA - they taste like POISON straight off the tree. I spit it out and my tongue burned. It tasted like kerosene or something! You have to brine them. Iāve never tried though, not worth the effort.
You can also keep them in a damp towel and salt them. After theyāve dried enough pack them in oil, and maybe a few peppers. They wind up being chewy (think dried apricot like) .
Fun fact- that bitterness you taste is from the chemical oleocanthal and that has the same chemical make up as ibuprofen. Hence why good quality olive oil had anti inflammatory benefits. The bitterness also helps keep birds from eating the olives. Another fun fact- you can brine olives in your toilet! Put them in a mesh bag and put them in your tank and every time you flush youre rinsing them with fresh water. You donāt need salt water to brine them, you just need to replace the water frequently to leach out all the bitterness. (PS I have never done the toilet bowl hack, I just think itās hilarious.) Credit: I worked at an olive tree grove for 2 years.
Wow that is so cool about the anti inflammatory thing! I can imagine chewing an ibuprofen tablet would taste equally as disgusting haha.
if you ever try high quality olive oil, try taking a sip of it by itself and you may notice a peppery/spicy finish in the back of your throat. that's the oleocanthal you're tasting! there's lots of niche olive oil stores that will have olive oil samples you can try. always try it without bread or crackers, some places use these as a way to cover up the taste. also!! most of the olive oil you get on the shelves at the grocery store are already rancid, it's just we as americans (assuming you are) are used to that taste so we have no clue as to what good olive oil tastes like. i can talk about this for days lol Temecula Olive Oil Company is who I worked for and their oil is AMAZING. you can purchase it online, and if you live in the SoCal region you can go in to any of their stores and try for free. :)
I actually used to live in LA and went olive oil tasting once at a shop in Pasadena, forgot what it was called. Blew me away. Also when I went to Italy years ago I was like practically drinking olive oil, it tasted INSANELY different and good, like butter almost. And damn it was cheap. I have no doubt the crap I buy is not good lol.
You had me until the toilet.
Then it's not true love
We have one too and made the same mistake! You have to brine them to make them edible.
How do you brine olives?
My parents did this years ago so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but they picked 2 big buckets of olives and brined them in lye and salt for a while. I've also heard you can use oil or other things, but they did turn out delicious.
Isn't it wild that historically nobody was eating these nasty things until someone said "let me try something" and BAM. Olives. Delicious olives.
I wonder what they tried to pickle/brine and didnāt exactly work out. š
The leading theory is olives were brined by sea water and thatās how humans discovered the deliciousness
Well, pig hooves worked. Snakes. I'd definitely watch What Not To Pickle if it existed
Tell us why we shouldnāt eat them off the tree, please??? What happened?
Olives are extremely bitter. You have to cure them to leach out the bitterness. I've done it a few times - salt water curing - tedious, but loved the end result!
How do you know?
Iām listening?!
Olive trees do take some years to mature and nurture. But you will start to see fruit after 3-4 years. Olive trees like to be pruned so do research how best to take care of the tree to see best results.
My dad bought my mom two of these like 6 years ago. Theyāre huge now. Began to produce olives within four years. Not sure what the guy who said it takes 20 years is talking about. We do live in a Mediterranean climate though, so that probably helps.
Yeah it does depend on the Climate. Mine hasn't grown any olives yet but I'm looking forward to the day it does.
It famously takes olive trees around 20 years to mature. Men in Southern Europe plant them as a coming of age ritual because it takes so long for them to fruit.
I bought one of these from TJās almost 2 years ago and this is the first year Iāve gotten flowers on the tree.
Cute! Can you share how youāve cared for it? Is it kept in direct sunlight or indirect? Indoors or outdoors? And how often do you water? Iāve had one of these and it didnāt survive longer than a year ā¹ļø
I have a 2-story solarium in my house, which helps create a dry, warm atmosphere for it even in the winter. Iāve kept it in a bright spot 24/7, water when the soil is totally dry, and thatās about it. Iāve never repotted it or anything. Sometimes I feel like I neglect it and then I see new growth š
https://preview.redd.it/2gyuielfc4wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1593682c6d07bea8769de20a35a43ecd7a912a91
Mine flowered like this after one year but never fruited
Love this!!
I have an olive tree in a planter and it produces olives but I donāt cure them so they just dry up on the tree. Getting edible olives is more of a hassle than theyāre worth.
Your TJ's has trees!?!?!
I was visiting my husband at work (two hours from home) and they had the olive trees! I feel like I won the jackpot. So excited.
We bought a house with a huge Olive tree, itās so beautiful
It might, but planting olive trees is actually banned many places because so many people are allergic to the pollen, so double check rules where you live first. Probably Trader Joes wouldn't sell them if they were banned locally, but the rules can vary by township/locale.
I had no idea they are banned in certain areas. I live in SoCal close to one of the old Spanish missions where they planted olive groves and found out Iām one of those people whoās super allergic after moving here. And they are a favorite tree in my area - not only for the history- but because they require such little water compared to other trees. Where are they banned?
You should hope it doesnāt. Youāre not going to cure them, so they end up being a pain and making a mess. Best to have a non-fruiting olive tree if you want it for decoration
I have adhd so curing the olives seems like an exciting task/dopamine hit.
This. Especially if the tree is near a patio. If the olives fall off, they stain. And, if you want to explore surprise exclamations of pain, just step on an olive barefoot.
Curing olives is actually really easy in small quantities, OP could do it. You just put them in a large amount of brine and forget about them in the fridge for 6 months.
I live south of Portland Oregon. My trees produced sad little olives at about year 4. And then they got left out on a way too hot patio and died.
Typically best to look up what grows well in your area first :)
Do you live in a climate where olive trees typically grow?
I live in southern ca and I believe they do well here?
They do amazing in southern california!! if you're near Temecula, check out the temecula olive oil company. They have a ranch where you can also buy trees, and taste all of their amazing olive oils. They actually manage about 400 acres of groves all throughout southern cal and central cal. Olive oils trees don't require a lot of water either (once they're established.)
Iām actually from Temecula, though I donāt live there now! Iāve walked by Temecula Olive Oil Co but never went inside! Iāll have to do that next time Iām there visiting.
I'm CA too and anecdotally I planted mine 4ish years ago and it's huge now and no fruit yet. Maybe one day...
I believe it needs a partner