{"id":6073,"date":"2017-10-05T15:41:22","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T15:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/?p=6073"},"modified":"2017-11-23T15:41:57","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T15:41:57","slug":"the-dinette-teller-olive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookwithgusto.com\/?p=6073","title":{"rendered":"The Dinette Teller – 41. I Olive You! A Guide to Olives – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if sometimes olive oils received more attention than food delights.\u00a0Olives are one of the world’s most widely enjoyed foods!<\/p>\n

Technically classified as fruits of the “Olea europea”<\/i>\u00a0tree, we commonly think about olives not as fruit but as a vegetable.\u00a0Olive trees can live for several hundred years. The carbon-dated world record for an olive tree stands at 2,000 years!<\/p>\n

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Olive Tree<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In most Mediterranean areas, olives are harvested in autumn and winter but in Italy, the harvest can begin as early as the end of September.\u00a0In some places in Italy, olives are harvested by hand because the terrain is too mountainous for machines. As a result, the fruit is not bruised, which leads to a superior finished product.<\/p>\n

Health Benefits<\/h3>\n

It is commonly recognized as a high-fat food because about 80-85% of the calories in olives come from fat. Nevertheless, almost three-quarters the type of fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid exclusive from olives.<\/p>\n

In other words, olives are full of\u00a0antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.\u00a0<\/strong>The most important antioxidant is oleuropein<\/strong>\u00a0(Exclusive from olives). Olives can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and decrease the blood pressure thanks to the oleic acid.<\/p>\n

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Health Benefits<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Furthermore, this wonderful ingredient is a good source of copper, iron, selenium, zinc, dietary fibre and vitamin E.<\/p>\n

In addition, can help to protect the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, immune system, inflammatory system, and digestive system, thanks to phytonutrient content.<\/p>\n

Types<\/h3>\n

Some of the most common Italian Mediterranean olives are:<\/p>\n

Cipresino, Coratina, Frantoio, Grappoio, Leccino, Taggiasca.<\/strong>
\nThe colour<\/strong> of an olive is actually determined by its degree of ripeness.\u00a0Green<\/em>\u00a0olives are unripe and\u00a0black<\/em>\u00a0olives are fully ripe.\u00a0\u00a0There are also colours in between, including yellow-green, green-grey, rose, red-brown, dark red and purplish-black.<\/p>\n

\"Types<\/a>
Types of Olives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They can be characterized also by several different textures<\/strong>, including shiny, wilted, or cracked. The size<\/strong> of olives may range from fairly small to fairly large or jumbo. In general, regardless of the variety you choose, select olives that still display a reasonable about of firmness and are not overly soft or mushy.<\/p>\n

How to Cure Olives<\/h3>\n

The taste of olives can be too bitter if you eat right off the tree. For that reason, there is a variety of methods to treat them. The type of treatment will depend on the variety, the region where they are cultivated and the desired taste, texture and colour.<\/p>\n

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\"Pitted<\/a>
Pitted Black Olives in Brine<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are 2 main technics:<\/p>\n

Water-curing\u00a0<\/strong>involves submersion of the olives in water for a period of several weeks or longer.<\/p>\n

Brine-curing\u00a0<\/strong>involves the submersion of olives in a concentrated salt solution for many months, whereas lye-curing involves the submersion of olives in strong alkali solutions. A good example is the\u00a0Pitted Black Olives in Brine,\u00a0<\/a>a flavoursome taste with a delicate crisp flesh.<\/p>\n

How to Select & Store Olives<\/h3>\n

When selecting olives, beware of the label description, “hand-picked” to avoid buying those which have been mechanically harvested with a hand-held pneumatic rake.<\/p>\n

They have been traditionally sold in jars and cans, pitted, or stuffed with either peppers, garlic or almonds. The best way to store them is to keep them immersed in brine in the coolest place possible away from direct sunlight.<\/p>\n

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\"Our<\/a>
Our Olives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Choose amongst a wide variety!<\/h3>\n

In our shop, you can find a lot of products, based on this special delicacy:<\/p>\n