Stuffed or marinated, sliced or eaten whole, table olives are not only gourmet delights but are choice health foods as well. Green and black olives have become popular after a number of studies link its nutritional content with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes..
Olive fruits
Considered as fruits, olives are round and small, about the size of a grape. Unlike other members of the fruit family, olives cannot be eaten straight from the tree and typically undergo careful brining before you can eat them as green or black olives. The green ones are slightly under-ripe while the black ones are already ripe.
How selected
Olive production is a meticulous process starting with the selection of the fruits. Only those that are mature are picked which is often determined by a squeeze test to check for oil secretion at the stem end. Other producers ensure maturity with another test to check for a free stone effect. This is done by making an incision around the fruit and twisting them apart to see if the stone is easily released.
Outer appearance
The best producers see to it that they pick only the fruits that are not bruised or damaged, preferably by hand because machines can ruin the olives.
Production
Olives grow well in countries that are blessed with sub tropical climates such as the Mediterranean, parts of Australia and the USA. Hundreds of varieties exist but not all are processed for eating as table olives.
After picking the fruits, these are immediately washed and submerged in cool water to remove the bitter principles. After water treatment, the clean fruits are then brined in a salt water solution..
The brining method is the key to the olive’s taste. There have been reports that European sources use lye or caustic soda, a chemical that can cause severe skin burns, for curing the fruits.. In Australia, olive producers observe high standards of production and avoid treating the fruits with lye and use brine to remove the bitter taste – especially important for table olives.
Some producers infuse additional flavour by marinating the fruits in lemon, vinegar and other spices shortly before selling them.. The pitted table olives are often stuffed with red peppers, pearl onions, garlic and other spices for an interesting taste. Green or black, always look for fruits that are crisp, neither woody nor soft, when eaten.