Processing olives is done through curing and fermentation or drying in order for them to be edible. Lye and salt brine are used to cure olives from their bitter oleuropein compound. Olives are fermented by yeast and the brine allows bacteria to add flavor and act as a natural preservative by lowering the pH from other bacteria that would lead ...
How are olives cured to make them palatable?
What is the process?
- Use water-curing 1 – 5 steps described above in order to prepare Kalamata olives for brine-curing
- After 2 days soaking in just water, use a brine of 1:10 ratio solution where 1 part salt to 10 parts water
- Soak Kalamata olives in salt brine, make sure they are submerged (you can place a stone or plate on top of olives)
How to cure olives at home?
Instructions
- Use clean, fresh, mature green olives.
- Rinse the olives with water and place them in large crock, glass or porcelain jar or bowl.
- Mix 1 tablespoon lye with 1 quart water. ...
- Drain the olives and soak for 12 more hours in a fresh lye solution. ...
- Soak the olives in fresh, cold water, changing the water three (or more) times a day for the next 4 days. ...
Are canned olives as good as fresh olives?
These canned food recipes will taste as good as fresh
- Plum tomatoes: rigatoni with amatriciana sauce. ...
- Plum tomatoes: spicy prawn stew. ...
- Chopped tomatoes: butter chicken. ...
- Chickpeas: hummus. ...
- Chickpeas: potato curry. ...
- Chickpea water (aquafaba): vegan pavlova. ...
- Cannellini beans: kale and cannellini soup. ...
- Butter beans: smoky bean stew. ...
- Anchovies: salade Niçoise. ...
- Anchovies: creamy roasted broccoli. ...
How do you process olives for eating?
- Hygiene - vitally important that everything you use is spotlessly clean.
- Sort the olives carefully and discard any that are bird pecked, bruised, diseased or otherwise not top quality.
- Keep to consistent colours and sizes or the olives will not all be ready at the same time.
- Sterilise all your equipment prior to starting.
- If in doubt - throw it out!
Can you eat olives straight from the tree?
Are olives edible off the branch? While olives are edible straight from the tree, they are intensely bitter. Olives contain oleuropein and phenolic compounds, which must be removed or, at least, reduced to make the olive palatable.
How do you process raw olives?
Lye-curing: Lye-cured olives are soaked in a lye-water solution that quickly breaks down the olives' waxy outer coating and removes the bitter oleuropein. The olives are then repeatedly rinsed in cold water to remove the lye. After rinsing, the olives are usually soaked and stored in a vinegar brine, or fermented.
Are processed olives healthy?
Olives are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, some of which are added during processing. This fruit's beneficial compounds include: Vitamin E. High-fat plant foods usually contain high amounts of this powerful antioxidant.
Why are olives not good for you?
Olives provide many health benefits, but they are still relatively high in fat. Canned olives are often packed in brine, which makes them high in sodium (salt). A high sodium diet can contribute to cardiovascular (heart-related) disease. Fresh olives are a healthier choice if you are watching your sodium intake.
Are all olives soaked in lye?
Most Spanish table olives are cured at least in part with lye, but their process is far different than that used in to make the hideous Lindsay olive.
Are olives pickled or fermented?
Olives are preserved in brine, fermented or not, and darkened by oxidation in an alkaline medium. They are stored in hermetically sealed containers and subjected to heat sterilization. Olives prepared in a different way than those above following traditional recipes.
Which is healthier green or black olives?
"There are no nutritional differences between green and black olives. Olives are endowed with high amounts of good monounsaturated fat and minerals, such as iron and copper. They're also rich in vitamin E, polyphenols and flavonoids, which are antioxidants [that] have anti-inflammatory benefits."
What happens if you eat olives everyday?
Olives are rich in vitamin A, an antioxidant that's essential for protecting the cornea and maintaining eye health. It can help fend off age-related eye problems such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma and, when it comes to skin, can help reduce wrinkles.
Why are black olives always in a can?
The end product is raw, cured and crisp, olives. The short of it is — black olives are “always” in a can because the canning process is what creates the desired sweetness; and green olives are “always” in a jar because the final product is expected to be a crispy raw olive, not a cooked one.
Are olives anti-inflammatory?
Olives are packed with antioxidants, which have been shown to help with chronic inflammation. Two kinds of antioxidants found in olives, hydroxytyrosol and oleanolic acid, have been effective in reducing inflammation in animal test subjects.
Is it OK to eat a lot of olives?
To keep your saturated fat intake within the recommended guidelines, it's best to limit your intake to 2–3 ounces (56–84 grams) — about 16–24 small- to medium-sized olives — per day. Though olives may aid weight loss, they're high in salt and fat — and eating too many of them may offset your weight loss success.
What are the healthiest olives to eat?
Olive experts prefer Kalamata olives as they are the healthiest olives found on earth. They are generally bigger than the usual black olives and have a plumper shape. Despite their size and deep dark-purple color, they are usually categorized as Greek black table olives.
How do you process olives after picking?
The easiest and quickest way to cure olives at home is with water. In this method, the freshly picked olives are sliced or cracked to expose the interior of the fruit, and then immersed in water, which is changed once a day for five to eight days and then soaked in finishing brine with salt and vinegar.
What is the fastest way to cure olives?
3:575:53How to Cure olives quicker. How to make raw Olives delicious and edible.YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut it really didn't work I like well they still tasted pretty bad. But this method 1/10 salty waterMoreBut it really didn't work I like well they still tasted pretty bad. But this method 1/10 salty water awesome with the floating aid trick you know you put salt in until the egg will float.
How do you preserve fresh olives?
Store in a cool, dark place for six weeks before eating. The olives will keep for up to two years unopened. Once opened, store in the fridge, where they will keep for up to six months.
Is it safe to eat raw olives?
Raw olives are far too bitter to eat, and can only be enjoyed after they are processed, usually by curing or pickling them. Most olives are made into olive oil, but some olives are preserved to be enjoyed in meals, especially in Mediterranean cuisine.
Where did green olives come from?
The green Chalkidiki olive has its roots in Hellenistic period. The well-known Green Olives of Chalkidiki come from kind Olea europea, with about 130 olive varieties, of which 50 are the most famous. These are table olive varieties, that grown exclusively in Chalkidiki.
How many kilos are in olives?
The production process of olives continues, when they are placed in boxes, containing 23 to 25 kilos each and they are gathered inside our facilities to be processed. They are being size-classified through a machinery and put again in much bigger containers of 450 kilos.
How long does it take for potash to clean olives?
At the initial stage, that is when the potash is first inserted into the olives, they are washed with clean water every 8 to 12 hours for several times to completely clean the product.
When is olive fruit ready to harvest?
The olive fruit is ready to harvest between September and October. People only harvest it with bare hands, one by one. As a result, the workers ought to be extremely careful while collecting the fruit so as not damage it. That way the final product reaches the consumer as perfect as it grows.
What is the process of brining olives?
A fermentation process takes place during brining, which alters the flavor profile in characteristic ways. Dry salting is another simple option, resulting in a shriveled olive that is slightly bitter and quite salty. Lye curing is perhaps the last frontier for home olive processing, but it needn’t be intimidating.
Where do olive trees come from?
Originating from the Turkey/Syria border area, olives are a quintessential Mediterranean tree, and thrive in Benicia’s warm summers and mild winters. Several artisanal olive oil companies have sprung up in the area. In local gardens, their familiar gray-green foliage lends an immediate air of classical antiquity.
Why are olives cured?
For edibility, olives are processed, or “cured,” to remove the oleuropein, which is found in the leaves and fruit of the tree. Oleuropein is non-toxic but extremely bitter. Curing neutralizes this compound in different ways, each resulting in particular tastes and textures.
What is the best olive tree for Benicia?
According to Rey Robledo of The Olive Tree Farm in Sonoma, Tuscan varieties (Cerignola, Frantoio, Leccino, and others), the Spanish Manzanillo and the French Picholine are ideal for Benicia’s soil and climate. These bear excellent fruit for both curing and pressing.
Can olive trees be planted year round?
These bear excellent fruit for both curing and pressing. Sold only in containers, olive trees can be purchased in a wide range of sizes and prices and planted year-round. Unlike many other fruits, the different colors that olives come in are due to the ripeness of the fruit, not the variety.
Can olives be preserved after curing?
After curing, olives can be preserved in different ways. The UC Davis Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources publication, “Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling (Publication 8267),” was written specifically for the home olive canner and includes recipes, curing methods, precautions for handling lye, and preserving methods.
How long does it take to process olives?
Slit olives will take longer to process than cracked. Once in the jar processing may take 3 weeks or as long as 12 months depending on these variable factors.
How to speed up olive processing?
If you want to speed up the processing, either break open the olives with a mallet of slit them with a sharp knife - but be careful. Green olives will take longer to process than black. Large olives will take longer to process than small. Solid olives will take longer to process than slit.
How to get bitterness out of raw olives?
This is generally done by either rinsing the olives in fresh water daily until the olives are edible, or by adding salt to the water and holding the olives under water for a few days / weeks until the bitterness is leeched out by the salt.
Can you process olives at home?
Processing olives at home is not difficult and we have a few recipes that are tried and tested but we will warn you there are a few things that can go wrong. In order to process your own olives for home use we would strongly advise you follow these guidelines:
How long do you let olives sit in water?
If using a water-cure process, place the prepared olives in a pan and cover with cold water; let sit for about a week, changing the water twice a day. Once the bitterness is gone, you are ready to place the olives in a brine. For a brine-cure, place the prepared olives in a mixture of 1 part salt to 10 parts water, making sure they're submerged, ...
How to cure green olives?
Choosing the Cure Solution. Green olives, which are young, immature olives, can be cured in water, which removes the bitter taste of the raw fruit. They will have a fresh, nutty flavor and firm texture. After a week or so of water curing, they are stored in a pickling brine, which adds a salty flavor. Brine curing is a similar process, but instead ...
How long do green olives sit in brine?
Brine curing is a similar process, but instead of simple water, the olives sit for a week in a salt and water solution. This method can be used with green olives as well as ripe (purple or black) ones. No matter which kind of cure you select, the brining process is similar. The longer the olive is permitted to ferment in its own brine, ...
How to get rid of olives that have been bruised?
First, select olives that haven't been bruised or succumbed to pests, in particular, the olive fly, whose larvae burrow into the fruits. Wash the olives thoroughly. Then slice or crack the olives, depending on how you would like them to look, to allow the brine to penetrate the fruit. Take care not to cut the pit.
What kind of olives are best for brining?
Selecting and Prepping the Olives. Different kinds of olives benefit from different cures. Manzanillo, mission, and kalamata olives are the best varieties for brining or salt curing. Larger fruits, such as Seville olives, may need to be steeped in lye to fully cure.
What are green olives?
Green olives are usually pitted, and often stuffed with various fillings, including pimentos, almonds , anchovies , jalapenos, onions, or capers. If you would like to have pitted and/or stuffed olives, remove the pits and add the fillings at this point. Then, mix up a similar brine, adding vinegar and herbs if desired.
Can you eat olives straight from the tree?
If you're lucky enough to have olive trees, you may have considered eating one of the fruits straight from the branch only to discover that there's a big difference between the olive on a tree and the olive on your plate. That's because the olives we enjoy are essentially pickles. Whether steeped in oil or a salt brine, olives only become truly edible after curing. The raw fruit is bursting with oleuropein, a bitter compound that must be removed prior to eating.
Where are olives found?
The olive, known by the botanical name Olea europaea, meaning "European olive", is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin.
Where did olive trees originate?
Fossil evidence indicates the olive tree had its origins 20–40 million years ago in the Oligocene, in what is now corresponding to Italy and the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Wild oleasters were present and collected in the East Mediterranean since ~19,000 BP. The genome of cultivated olives reflects their origin from oleaster populations in the East Mediterranean. The olive plant was first cultivated some 7,000 years ago in Mediterranean regions.
What is the name of the olive tree in the Mediterranean?
The six natural subspecies of Olea europaea are distributed over a wide range: Olea europaea subsp. europaea (Mediterranean Basin) Olea europaea var. sylvestris, considered the "wild" olive of the Mediterranean, is a variety characterized by a smaller tree bearing noticeably smaller fruit.
What was olive oil used for?
Olives were one of the main elements in ancient Israelite cuisine. Olive oil was used for not only food and cooking, but also lighting, sacrificial offerings, ointment, and anointment for priestly or royal office.
How tall is an olive tree?
It is short and squat, and rarely exceeds 8–15 m (26–49 ft) in height.
How old is Plato's olive tree?
An olive tree in west Athens, named "Plato's Olive Tree", is thought to be a remnant of the grove where Plato's Academy was situated, making it an estimated 2,400 years old. The tree comprised a cavernous trunk from which a few branches were still sprouting in 1975, when a traffic accident caused a bus to uproot it.
How many times is olive oil mentioned in the Quran?
The olive tree and olive oil are mentioned seven times in the Quran, and the olive is praised as a precious fruit. Olive tree and olive oil health benefits have been propounded in Prophetic medicine. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: "Take oil of olive and massage with it – it is a blessed tree" ( Sunan al-Darimi, 69:103).
Why do olives ferment?
These usually green olives tend to have a stronger taste. Increasing the salinity to more than 8% stops the bacteria and increases the shelf life.
What causes olives to turn green?
Olives comes in many varieties. They can be harvested at different stages of ripeness. Many olives have an enzyme called catechol oxidase that causes them to change from a green to a red-brown to a black, but some just stay green or black.
How does Oleuropein work?
Oleuropein is water soluble. When you leave them in water, the oleuropein gradually leaches out of the olives and into the water through osmosis. Breaking the olives increases the surface area so it happens faster. You keep changing the water to maintain the concentration gradient. This takes several weeks and doesn't remove all the oleuropein, so they still have some bitterness and you have to eat them soon because they won't last.
Why do green olives turn black?
This is a much faster process (about a day) and used commercially. Exposed to oxygen, this also makes green olives go black, like the ones on my daughter's pizza.
Can you use lye to make soap?
Lye. Using lye (sodium hydroxide) might sound harsh since it's used to unclog drains, but if it makes you feel any better, think of it as a traditional byproduct of wood ash that can be used to make soap. Of course, you still have to be careful.
How are olives picked?
When growers decide they are ready, olives may be picked mechanically by shakers or over-the-row harvesters, or by hand with the help of various tools that rake or shake olives onto nets underneath the olive tree. Once picked, olives are loaded onto a truck and transported quickly to a production facility.
How was olive oil made?
Starting way back in the 5th-4th Century BCE (so, well over 2,000 years ago), olive oil was made by grinding and crushing fresh olives into a paste or slurry using stone mills of various types. To separate the oil from the pulp, pits, and other solids (collectively referred to as “pomace”) the paste was “placed into woven bags or baskets, and the baskets themselves were then pressed,” according to this ThoughtCo article on ancient olive oil production. Hot water would be poured over the pressed bags to wash out the remaining oil.
How does olive paste work?
This machine slowly stirs the olive paste, which allows the tiny microdroplets of oil to coalesce into larger drops of oil that are easier to extract. This is also the site of a lot of biochemical activity that creates flavors and aromas in an olive oil. This process typically lasts about 20-40 minutes and is carried out under carefully controlled temperatures and atmospheric conditions.
What kind of machine is used to grind olives?
This process can be done by several different sorts of machines. Some olive oil makers still use traditional millstones powered by motors, but these are being phased out in favor of machines that crush and grind the olives with stainless steel hammers, knives or disks.
What is extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin is a grade of virgin olive oil. Confusingly, "virgin" is also a grade of virgin olive oil (making it "virgin virgin" olive oil if you want to get technical about it). The top olive oil-producing countries are (unsurprisingly) all in the Mediterranean region: Spain, Greece, Italy, Tunisia, and Portugal.
What is the first step in making olive oil?
The first step in making olive oil is—surprise, surprise—harvesting the olives. Typically, when making extra virgin olive oil, olives are harvested in the green (immature) fruit ripeness phase, or in the “veraison” phase when olive s are just transitioning from green to purple-ish in color, which means they're just beginning to ripen. Riper olives can also be used to make extra virgin olive oil, they just produce a milder ripe-fruity style oil with a lower polyphenol content.
What is cold press olive oil?
Now, it’s essentially a marketing term used to describe oil that’s been extracted without the use of heat or chemicals. In other words, extra virgin olive oil.
How long do you let olives cure?
Allow the olives to cure for a week, pour them into a second box and then back into the original burlap-lined box again.
How long do olives last in the fridge?
The olives will keep this way for about a month, but if you want to store them for longer periods, put them in your refrigerator or freezer.
How deep do you need to cure olives?
Curing Olives at Home. You'll need a wooden box about six inches deep — the kind that fruits and vegetables are often shipped in — that you can probably get free at the local produce market. You'll also have to round up a piece of burlap cloth big enough to cover the inside bottom and sides of the container.
Where are the olive trees in Chula Vista?
One of the first things I noticed when I moved into my apartment here in Chula Vista, California — a few miles south of San Diego — was the fine old olive trees growing among the landscaped shrubbery and lawns of the neighborhood. "They're Mission olives," an old-time resident of the city told me, "refugees from one of the many groves in this area ...
Can you climb trees with olives?
Ah, yes, the olives. Gathering them may be a slight problem if climbing trees isn't one of your favorite sports. I solved that small dilemma by gathering up a few bottles of coke, a portable radio for playing rock music, and some idle teenagers who were attracted by the novelty of an olive-picking party.
History
Raw Materials
- The olives themselves are the most important raw material. Depending on the curing method, pure water, caustic soda or lye, and coarse salt are used. Flavorings can be added to the brine. Among the favorites are red pepper or a variety of Mediterranean herbs for black olives and lemon or hot green peppers or chilies for green olives. Fennel, wine vinegar, or garlic can be used to ad…
Design
- "Design" of olives includes variety, color with green or ripe olives as the two basic differences, and method of curing. Kalamata olives from Greece are one of the best-known varieties and are distinguished by their purplish brown color and elongated shape with a sharp point. The green Manzanilla is the most famous Spanish olive and is now also cultivated in California. The Nicois…
The Manufacturing Process
- In the field
1. 1 When olives are harvested by hand, sheets of netting or plastic are placed on the ground under the trees, and the harvesters climb ladders and comb the fruit from the branches. Long-handled rakes made of wood or plastic are used to pull the olives from the tree. There are other … - In the processing plant
1. 3 At the processing plant, the harvest bags are emptied into 1,000 lb (450 kg) bins. From the bins, the olives are deposited onto conveyors and moved past a blower that blasts leaves and tree and dirt particles off the fruit. They are washed in pure water and placed in 55 gal (2001) barrels…
Quality Control
- The quality of olive processing is protected by many sets of hands and eyes. Steps from hand-picking in the grove to hand-culling of olives on the shaker table are monitored by touch. All other processes are watched carefully. Chemistry is regulated by relatively simple instruments, and taste tests help assure the crunch of cured olives and the blending of flavors.
Byproducts/Waste
- Olive producers usually manufacture olive oil as well. Another byproduct that is growing in popularity is processed olive leaves. They are made into tea, put in caplets as crushed leaves, and processed as an extract or in tablets; all forms are believed to aid blood flow and inhibit viruses and diabetes. Waste from olive processing consists of the pits and damaged fruit. The pits are s…
The Future
- A ripe future is predicted for the olive business thanks to three occurrences. Medical studies have shown that olives and olive oil are healthful foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. They may reduce the risk of heart attacks and breast cancer, among other diseases. In America, the influence of immigrants from Spain, Italy, and the North Coast of Africa who are ac…