OLIVES

Olive Preperation: Olives are not picked off the tree and ready to eat. If you were to pick a green olive off the tree, you'd be shocked at how hard, bitter, and completely unpalatable it is. Olives must first under go a curing process of some sort. Olives are often sold as "cracked," which is when a slit is put into the side of an olive, to help allow the olive to cure evenly. Most olives cure in a solution of salt and water, called a brine. Cracking olives allows the brine to penetrate the olive to the core, which is especially important in larger olives. Many small olives are not cracked, as the brine easily absorbs through the thin layer of meat around the pit.

Olives get interesting when you consider what to add to your brine. Salt and water are always a basic, and vinegar is added to some varieties. The salt and vinegar help to preserve olives for a long period of time by inhibiting bacterial growth in the salt-dense water. Otherwise, you can add almost anything to an olive's brine: herbs de provence, garlic cloves, dried citrus peel, juniper, spices, hot chilies, or even wine. Olives can also be cured in just oil or salt, which make for unique tasting olives, although these methods are less common.

Types of Olives: These are six of the most common types of olives:

1. Kalamata: Quite possibly the world’s most famous olive right now. Named after the Greek city of the same name. Dark purple and almond-shaped, these meaty olives are at home on a salad or on their own.
2. Manzanilla: Its large, round shape makes this a prime olive for stuffing. Green with a slight bite, these olives hail from Spain, where they are sometimes labeled “manzanillo.”
3. Arbequina: Tiny, blueberry-sized olives with a brown-green color. Although small, these olives are intensely flavored. In Spain, they are traditionally served as a hors d’oeuvre after being marinated in olive oil and herbs.
4. Cerignola: One of the largest olives available on the market, Cerignola has a meaty texture and a slightly sweet flavor. Being so big, they make an impressive statement on an appetizer tray, or with two or three crowning a composed salad.
5. Picholine: These green olives originated in France, but also grow in Morroco. They hold up well to cooking in Provencal stews or Moroccan tangines. They posses a mild flavor on their own, so use them in a dish that perks up their flavor.
6. Nicoise: These olives are famous for their beguilingly small size that hides their big, robust flavor. About the same size or smaller than Arbequina olives, Nicoise olives are black/purple in color. One of their most famous uses is in the classics Salade Nicoise.

Enjoying Olives: Some of our favorite cheeses to enjoy with olives include Feta, Spressa di Pinzolo, Istara, Manchego, Kefalotyri, and Serra da Estrela.

Olives are wonderful when marinated for 1-2 hours in olive oil, fresh herbs, pepper, and crushed garlic.

You can make a delicious olive spread, or tapenade, by pitting olives and blending them in a mortar or food processor with herbs, olive oil, anchovies, and onion.

When adding olives to a cooked dish, note that the salt will affect the recipe, so be careful with how much additional salt you add.