A GROWING PASSION: Season 8: For The Love Of Olives (New Season Premiere)

Premieres Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 at 8:30 p.m. & Sunday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. on KPBS TV + Monday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 + PBS Video App

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

By Jennifer Robinson

Credit: Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC

Above: Join A GROWING PASSION host and garden expert, Nan Sterman (pictured), as she explores farms, vineyards, gardens, native habitats and more throughout California and the West.

Join A GROWING PASSION host and garden expert, Nan Sterman, as she explores farms, vineyards, gardens, native habitats and more throughout California and the West.

By the time Franciscan monks planted the first olive tree at Mission San Diego de Alcala, humans had been cultivating their bitter fruits for thousands of years, primarily to burn their oil.

By the early 1900s, San Diego County's renowned olive industry supplied the region's huge tuna canneries. Today, fruiting olive trees are again popular for commercial orchards as well as for home gardens.

On "For The Love Of Olives," we meet a home gardener inspired to plant olive trees by childhood memories of fresh olive oil in his mother's Middle Eastern kitchen. We tour groves of the region's largest olive grower and olive oil producer. We discover olive varieties best for curing and eating, and others are best for gourmet oil.

Photo credit: Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC

A GROWING PASSION host and garden expert, Nan Sterman.

Viewers learn how to grow olive trees, and how to deal with the dreaded olive fruit fly that can destroy entire crops.

We see how olives are pressed for oil, olive oil tasting techniques, and the stunning array of delicious dishes made to show off olives' golden green smoothness.

Photo credit: Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC

Olive oil press featured in A GROWING PASSION "For The Love Of Olives."

Watch On Your Schedule:

Episodes of A GROWING PASSION will be available for streaming on demand following the broadcast. All past seasons are available on demand now.

With the PBS Video App, you can stream your favorite and local station shows. Download it for free on your favorite device. The app allows you to catch up on recent episodes and discover award-winning shows.

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About The Series:

More and more San Diegan's strive to make environmentally and economically responsible choices. From earth-friendly and water wise gardens to organic foods and habitat restoration, we demand options that protect our health, feed our communities, and protect our natural resources. A GROWING PASSION is an Emmy-winning lifestyle program that explores San Diego County's agriculture and horticulture.

FEATURED PODCAST

San Diego news; when you want it, where you want it. Get local stories on politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings. Hosted by Anica Colbert and produced by KPBS, San Diego and the Imperial County's NPR and PBS station.