The olive is a very Mediterranean food and olive oil is extracted from it, the ‘green gold’ of our cuisine. However, not all varieties are suitable for obtaining oil. Pilar San Martinolive buyer at ALDI Spain, brings us closer to this exceptional food.
What is an olive and why are there so many types?
The olive, also called olive, is the fruit of the olive tree (European wave). This substantially Mediterranean product is strictly speaking a fruit and is used both to produce olive oil, to eat directly or to incorporate as an ingredient in other dishes, once processed.
Difference between green, black and purple olives
The color of olives changes as they ripen.
- Greens: are harvested before full ripening
- rusty black (normally the ones we consume that come in a can or glass): they are picked green, but through an oxidation process their color changes to black
- Natural black: like the Kalamata, black from Aragon… they are harvested ripe
- Purples: They are collected in an intermediate state between green and black
The curing process and its influence on flavor.
Olives have a characteristic flavor, between bitter and fruity. They cannot be eaten directly from the tree due to their high content of astringent phytochemical compounds and a very bitter taste. To make them edible, they undergo a curing process that may include brine, water or salt. In this way the bitterness is eliminated. This process will also modify its flavor.
Table olives vs. olives for oil
Whether an olive ends up in the oil mill to produce oil or on our table depends largely on its oleic content. This is how San Martín explains it: «Varieties with a high oleic content can be used both for table olives and for oil. At the opposite pole we have the manzanilla variety olive, which is the one we consume stuffed with anchovy. It has a low oleic content so it was not profitable for the farmer to sell it for oil, except in recent years on an occasional basis,» he points out.
There are varieties that serve both uses, such as hojiblanca. «Normally, table olives are paid at a higher price. Depending on the price of oil, the farmer each year decides which one to go to, whether table olives or oil.» In these cases, you must know in the campaign what it is destined for, since the table olives are collected more carefully to prevent them from being damaged or deteriorated, «with the extra cost that this entails compared to the destination for oil, whose collection process is not so delicate.»
Main types of olive according to their variety
Chamomile
It is the best international rating for its productivity and the quality of its fruit in the mouth for table olives. It has a medium size, an almost round shape and a small bone.
It has lower fat content than other varieties, which is why it is not profitable for oil. It is harvested by hand between September and October, never mechanically, as it is very delicate.
Gordal
Highly consumed worldwide. It is large in size, heart-shaped and highly valued for natural fillings and ‘gourmet’ specialties. It has a lower fat content than other varieties, and therefore, very low profitability for oil.
It is harvested by hand between September and October. The small ones are known as ‘pelotín’.
white blade
Very well known internationally. In the mouth it has a harder texture than chamomile. It is medium in size and elliptical in shape, with a medium fat content and high profitability both as a table olive and for oil.
It is harvested mechanically between October and November and is highly valued for oxidized, seasoned and brined blacks.
Arbequina
It is small in size and highly productive in the field, adapted to super intensive cultivation. It is mainly destined for oil. When used as a table olive, it is preserved in water and salt.
It is harvested between October and November.
Picual
Variety with very high fat yield and little penetration in the table olive market due to its difficulty in pitting, as it has an irregular stone. The few that are channeled for table use are associated with crushed olives,
preserved in water and salt, and sold mainly in traditional markets.
It is a highly variable variety, that is, some years it has high production and others, very low. It is collected between November and December.
Kalamata
Internationally valued as a gourmet olive. Its consumption is always like natural black olives.
It is collected manually between November and December.
Cacereña
It is the variety that best adapts to the black olive oxidation process. Medium in size, almost round in shape with a beak and a spongy, fresh texture free of fibrousness. Lower fat content than other varieties.
It is harvested mechanically between September and November.
Empeltre / Black of Aragon
It stands out for its excellent flavor. It is made only with water and salt, although it is sold with or without government liquid. It can also be found in its “dead Aragón” version, dehydrated with salt.
It has a high fat content (double suitability – table and oil) and high profitability. It is collected between November and December.
verdial
It is a less fibrous variety than the hojiblanca. It has an elliptical shape and oily flavor. Ideal for making recipes with dressing.
It has a high fat content and high profitability. It is collected in October and November.
Nutritional properties of olives
Olives are an excellent source of energy (120 calories for green olives and 289 for black olives, always per 100 grams of food). This energy is obtained mainly from fats, among which monounsaturated fats predominate. In addition, they are rich in fiber, provide potassium and vitamin E (only the black ones) and a wide variety of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols.
Now, it is a food with a very high salt content, ranging from 5 grams in green ones to 8 grams in black ones. However, the amount of consumption is relatively limited, although it must be taken into account when accounting for daily salt, which should not exceed 5 grams in total.
How to preserve olives
Once the container is opened, it is best to keep them in the refrigerator. “At room temperature, the intervention of microorganisms is favored, which can change the organoleptic characteristics of the olive,” warns San Martín.
Frequently asked questions about olives
Which are the healthiest?
One way to remove or reduce the salt content is to rinse the olives with water before eating them to remove some of the surface salt. There are also olive options on the market with reduced salt content or no added salt.
Do olives make you fat?
No food makes you fat or lose weight on its own. Despite their high fat content, they are monounsaturated fats, also called healthy fats that are beneficial for cardiovascular health. Its fat and fiber content provides a feeling of satiety, which can prevent the consumption of other less healthy foods.
If we stop to look at the calories, a serving of olives (approximately 7-10 units – about 30 grams) has about 30-35 calories in the green ones and about 80 calories if they are black. Without a doubt, a relatively low calorie intake when compared to other highly processed appetizers or snacks with no nutritional interest.
How much salt does it contain?
The brining process inevitably adds salt, and therefore, to the olives. On average, green olives contain 3.7 and 5 grams of salt per 100 grams. In the case of black ones, the content can exceed 8 grams per 100 grams.
It should be remembered that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum consumption of 5 grams of salt per day for healthy adults. This means that about 8-10 black olives would provide about 2.5 grams of salt, an amount that would be slightly reduced in the case of green olives.
The ALDI Council
Pickles are an excellent snack, full of interesting micronutrients and low in calories. If you get the bug in the middle of the afternoon and the first thing you find in the refrigerator comes to you, have olives, pickles, pickled onions on hand…
Pilar San Martin. National Purchasing Manager – Pantry at ALDI. As responsible for the purchase of olives, he defines the strategy and development of that category. His professional career has spanned various sectors. She has a degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Communication and Advertising Strategies.
