California Sevillano Olives

California Sevillano olives are a plump and crisp green varietal with meaty flesh and a smooth, buttery, briny bite. Thanks to texture and being easily pitted, California Sevillano olives are ideal for stuffing with most any ingredient such as cheese, garlic, nuts, and peppers.

Growing Region and Harvesting

California Sevillano olive trees originated in the Seville region of Spain. When Spanish missionaries traveled to California in the 1800s, they brought olive trees along and planted them in Northern California. Today, Sevillano trees are some of the oldest trees in the United States, with many being more than 100 years old.

California Sevillano olives grow in the Sacramento Valley region of California, where the weather patterns, average rainfall, and terrain make for ideal growing conditions. The Sacramento Valley’s climate mirrors that of the Mediterranean with dry, hot summers and cool, wet winters.

While all olive varieties can be harvested at different stages of ripeness (from green to black), optimally the California Sevillanos are picked green. Usually the olive harvest takes place during the month of October.

Once they are ready for harvest, each Sevillano is handpicked. Unlike olives harvested for olive oil, all table olives are handpicked, because they will bruise easily and that defect will be seen in the final cured fruit.a

Curing

The Sevillano olive is cured using a natural brine fermentation that is predominately water and salt. This cure began with Italian immigrants with a process known as the Sicilian cure.

Within 24 hours of harvest, our Sevillano Olives are placed in the tanks of the salt-water solution (brine). This curing process is one of the longest methods because it takes time for the simple salt-water solution to penetrate the fruit to its flesh. The brine cures the olive by converting its natural sugars to lactic acid and debitters it by dissipating the fruit’s phenolic compounds.

Pairings

California Sevillano olives pair well with tangy cheeses, such as feta or goat cheese. A popular stuffed or cured table olive, this varietal often appears on charcuterie platters and in dirty martinis. The balance of tart and buttery flavors makes this olive an excellent pairing for dry spirits such as gin or vodka, or a sparkling white wine, such as Cava.

Quick Facts

Size ranges from extra-large to colossal.
Color ranges from grassy to straw-green.
Plump meaty texture and crisp bite.
Tart, bright, and briny with a buttery, smooth presence
A generous flesh-to-pit ratio makes California Sevillanos a great olive for stuffing

Did You Know…?

The DeLallo curing facility is the oldest facility dedicated to olive processing in the United States.

DeLallo Varieties