Spotlight Series: All About Olives

(Everything You Need To Know)

Did you know that olives are one of the oldest fruit?

Yes, that’s right. Olives are a fruit. In the same family as peaches, cherries and plums, olives are considered a drupe fruit or stone fruit. Olives (botanical name: Olea europaea) are a beloved part of Mediterranean culture with a history that goes back before written language. Thanks to the hardiness and adaptability of the olive tree and its numerous benefits, this ancient gem has survived time and circumstance to continue on as one of the planet’s most treasured fruits.

Olives come in a wide range of varieties, colors, flavor profiles and curing styles. There is an olive (or 12) for nearly every palate with flavors ranging from tart and crisp to deeply complex and smoky. No matter which olive you choose, each brings an incredible burst of flavor for such a tiny package. For these reasons and more, olives are an exciting addition to antipasto spreads, cheese boards and charcuterie plates. More than a snacking or entertaining item, olives and their oils are indispensable ingredients showing up in everything from salads and pizzas and to pasta sauces and baked chicken recipes.

If you love olives or just want to learn about this remarkable fruit, this is a proper place to begin.

Olives are small, ovular fruits that grow on trees. While most might not think of olives as a fruit, they are classified as drupe fruits (or stone fruits)—like peaches, plums, cherries, etc. These are fleshy fruits with hard pits that contain a seed. There are hundreds of olive varieties and they can be processed and sold in varying stages of ripeness, from youthful green and crisp to a ripe black. Healthy and loaded with good fats and antioxidants, olives and their oil are a staple food in the Mediterranean and a large part of the famed Mediterranean diet. There is no such thing as fresh olives, as olives right from the tree are super bitter and inedible. Olives must be cured to eat. These ancient fruits are enjoyed all over the world as simple snacks, elaborate antipasto and cheese board features, as well as gourmet ingredients in everything from pasta salads to pizzas. Olives can be found in grocery stores canned on shelves, packaged in the deli department and on olive bars all across the United States.

Did you know that the olive tree, also known as the “tree of eternity,” is one of the oldest cultivated trees in the world? The olive tree originated in present-day Turkey and had an enormous impact on Mediterranean civilizations for thousands of years with its uses.

For centuries, olives and their oil have offered food, medicines, fuel and more. To this day, olives have many uses in our lives—from cosmetics to food items. The longevity of this glorious food is—no doubt—due to its hardiness and strength. The olive tree has an incredible ability to adapt to drought conditions and to soil changes and even low temperatures. Because of this, the olive tree (Olea europaea) is symbolic to many and its fruit has been enjoyed and celebrated throughout history. The olive tree—more specifically, its branch—is known as a symbol of peace that dates back to ancient Greece.

Olive Geography

There are many regions in the world where olives grow, not just in the Mediterranean. The main regions for growing olives include Spain, Italy, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and California (of The United States.) These regions are prime locations for olive cultivation because of their climate. Olive trees prefer warm summers with little rain and only a few days of freezing temperatures. Different regions produce different olives with unique flavor profiles. We love pairing up Italian olives, for example, with antipasti, specialty cheeses and cured meats of the same region.

Olive Propagation (Growth), Harvesting And Seasonality

Olives come in a wide range of colors, from straw-green to purples and black …even pink! The precise moment an olive is harvested can determine its flavor and texture. Just as you might imagine, the greener an olive, the younger it is. These youthful fruits are typically picked from the tree in September and October—early in the harvest season. Green olives are often tart in flavor with a crisp, firm flesh. Dark-hued olives (the deep purple, brown and black) are allowed to ripen longer on the tree before they are plucked—typically in January—creating a more tender and more complex olive with deeper, richer notes.

Olive Fermentation And Curing

Types Of Olives

Variety - There are over a hundred mainstream olive varietals from all over the world that are used in table olive and olive oil production—from the buttery green Sicilian olives known as Castelvetrano to the prized purple-hued Greek Kalamata (branded Calamata Olives at DeLallo). Each olive varies in size, color, texture and flavor.

Color - The color of your favorite table olives depends on when they were harvested. Olives begin as green olives—the same way tomatoes and peppers all start out green. In general, the greener an olive is, the less mature it is. As they ripen, olives change colors from purple to deep brown or black. This color shift depends on the olive variety. Some olives are best enjoyed green, like the Spanish Manzanilla. While others, like the Greek Calamata are best eaten when they are ripe, which is a stunning purple eggplant color. But most other olives turn dark brown to black when they are ripened.

Cure - An olive’s variety is only one factor that determines the flavor and texture of a table olive. Because “fresh olives,” or olives straight from the tree, cannot be eaten as they are, these small stone fruits must be processed to remove their natural bitter compounds. This processing is called curing. Whether an olive is soft and mild or crisp and tangy really depends on an olive’s curing process. Some methods are quicker, some curing takes more time. Learn more about specific curing styles under the heading Olive Fermentation and Curing.

Olive Sizing

International olive sizes are dictated by the number of olives per kilo, while American sizes are classified by the number of olives per pound. Because of this, you might see olive sizes as 160/180, for example. (These sizes refer to the whole olive fruit with pit.) In the United States, olives also adopted size descriptors like Medium, Jumbo and Mammoth that have been tied to these per-kilo sizes, which you may see in grocery stores in the names of the olives themselves.

Olives In Brine Vs Oil

Olives packed in oil are considered superior, by most. Oil-packed olives are better coated and so slower to degrade. Keeping them refrigerated will slow the process of degradation even more. Olives that are kept in brine (salt water) will continue to cure and can become acrid and overly salty. This all depends on the olive, of course. Whether your olives are packed in oil or brine solution, the key is to keep them covered in that liquid. This will enhance the longevity of your olives.

Storing Olives - Olives, like other pickled food items, have a longer shelf-life than fresh foods. While they are typically well-preserved, that doesn’t mean they won’t go bad. There are some obvious indicators that your olives have gone bad. Olives that are too soft, super mushy and breaking apart or bruised are a sign your olives have degraded. If combined with a bad smell, get rid of those olives! To store olives properly and to keep them looking and tasting their best, be sure the olives are completely submerged in the oil or brine that they come in. Keep the container in a cool space or refrigerator, depending on the label instructions.

In the Kitchen - Olives aren’t just a charcuterie board decoration or an antipasto feature. Olives are at the heart of some incredible Mediterranean-inspired recipes. When it comes to cooking olives, these ancient fruits are delicious ingredients that can fit so much flavor into a tiny package. Briny, bold, piquant, buttery, grassy, tangy, sweet, smoky… just one olive can add some serious flavor to your Mediterranean-inspired dishes—from Puttanesca Pasta Sauce to Baked Chicken and Olives and even the popular Dirty Martini. Have you ever tried our cheesy fried Stuffed Olives recipe? What about the iconic Olive Tapenade spread? Sliced, smashed, puréed, chopped, pitted, whole… olives are an invitation to get creative!

Health Benefits Of Olives

Olives are absolutely good for you! Olives and olive oil are part of the famous Mediterranean diet, an eating style based on those living along or near to the Mediterranean Sea—in the countries of Italy, Greece, Spain and France, to be exact. High in antioxidants such as Vitamin E, olives have been proven to be beneficial for prevention of bone disease, heart disease, and certain cancers. Olives contain mono-unsaturated fat, a healthy fat which can help to regulate cholesterol. Don’t forget that olives are considered a fermented food, which brings along its own health benefits for gut health.

The Best Olives: The Delallo Difference

Olives are absolutely good for you! Olives and olive oil are part of the famous Mediterranean diet, an eating style based on those living along or near to the Mediterranean Sea—in the countries of Italy, Greece, Spain and France, to be exact. High in antioxidants such as Vitamin E, olives have been proven to be beneficial for prevention of bone disease, heart disease, and certain cancers. Olives contain mono-unsaturated fat, a healthy fat which can help to regulate cholesterol. Don’t forget that olives are considered a fermented food, which brings along its own health benefits for gut health.