Natural color of olives. Olives and black olives, what is the difference between benefits and harms

- I like more olives!

- I prefer olives.

Familiar dialogue? Do you know the difference between olives and black olives? Test your knowledge!

In the southern regions, a tree grows, scientifically called "Olea europea", which in translation into Russian means "European olive". That is, there is one tree, but two names - in Europe it is an olive, and in Russia it is an olive. The tree is evergreen, loving heat and sun, it lives on average 300-400 years (sometimes more than 1000), reaching a height of 12 meters (4-5 on average) and an unprecedented volume. The leaves appear gray from a distance, and this effect increases with age. One tree per season produces about 5 buckets of fruit.

olive fruits

The olive blossoms in April, covered with delicate modest white flowers, in May the ovaries appear, which grow, absorbing the warmth of the sun and the power of the wind, gradually becoming larger and larger. At first, the fruits have a bright green color. In October, they become lighter in color and can be harvested for preservation. At this stage, the fruits are called olives. By January, the fruits darken, becoming red, purple or blue-black. At this stage of maturity, the fruits are richest in oils, which is why they are already called olives. However, olives are not suitable for conservation - they are too soft and cannot retain their shape, so they are used to make oil.

What is in the jars - olives or black olives?

Olives are harvested by hand using special tents. The collected fruits are sorted by size and processed to get rid of bitterness. Previously, olives were placed in sea water for six months. Now technology has stepped forward, and no one will do for six months what can be done much faster. Now green olives are treated with a solution of caustic soda, which very quickly extinguishes the bitterness of the olives and makes them softer.

To make the fruits black, they are additionally oxidized with the help of the stabilizer E579 (iron gluconate). However, such processing makes the fruits even softer, which does not allow the use of fillings. Therefore, olives are sold with and without pits, stuffed ones are almost impossible to meet.
Olives are stuffed with a variety of fillings: lemon, pepper, garlic, fish, etc.

What is healthier - olives or black olives?

If we are talking about native, unprocessed fruits (only freed from bitterness), then olives are more useful, containing a large amount of unsaturated fats, vitamins and trace elements. Olives improve digestion, increase immunity, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, and lower cholesterol.

If we consider pickled fruits, then green olives will be more useful, since they are less processed than black olives.

Olives are one of the most popular appetizers on Russian tables. These small black fruits come from Africa and look like green olives. Despite the similarity in appearance, most people consider olives and olives to be the fruits of different plants, and the latter are in rather little demand among Russians. However, despite the differences in taste and color, black and green fruits belong to the same species. They even grow on the same tree.

How are olives grown?

Olive groves are grown by the inhabitants of Africa, the southern regions of Europe and Asia. Evergreen olive trees belong to the olive family. Black olives and olives that come to Russia in different banks grow on the same branch. Fruits intended for export are harvested before ripening. This explains the familiar dark green color and astringency of pickled olives.

In addition, pickled olives are much softer than their freshly picked counterparts. Fruit firmness is very important for safe transport. If ripe olives were exported, most of them would be unsalable after delivery due to their bruised appearance.

Those fruits that remain on the branches until fully ripe are almost twice as large as we are used to and change color from dark green to brown or purple. They are mainly used not for food, but as a raw material for the manufacture of olive oil.

Collection methods also differ. Unripe fruits are plucked by hand and placed in baskets. Ripe olives crumble under their own weight. Therefore, they are not torn off, but shaken off the tree onto specially stretched hammocks made of fine mesh.

What are olives?

The word "olive" exists exclusively within the countries of the former USSR. These are the same unripe olives, only not green, but black. The olive has a lower astringency, but this is due not to species differences, but to the peculiarities of cooking. Europeans instead of a word "olives" They say "black olives".

Where does black come from?

There is an erroneous opinion that the color of pickled fruits depends on the degree of maturity at harvest. In fact, the reason is different. Harvested olives differ only in size. Therefore, after calibration, they are divided into 2 parts, depending on the required final color.

Fruits that should retain their natural color are immediately sent to the marinade, and those that are to turn black are poured into special canisters, where compressed oxygen is supplied. Under its influence, future olives are from one week to 10-12 days. During this time, they are oxidized, and the pulp to the very bone becomes black. The resulting olives are removed and sent to the brine.

Salted olives are stored in canisters. Canisters are interconnected and placed underground to maintain a constant temperature. Before further preparations (pitting, stuffing) or transportation, the olives are pumped out of the barrels by powerful air pumps. If necessary, hoses with a calibration hole of a certain size are installed on the pumps.

Myths and legends about the differences between olives and olives

There are several false beliefs among the people regarding the different characteristics of products. Among them:

the content of useful substances;
the use of dyes;
different varieties and degrees of maturity.

Let's examine these misconceptions in more detail.

Utility. Since there is only one species, there can be no initial differences in the content of vitamins and other useful substances. The content of vitamins can only change during the preservation process, but it depends more on the technology of a particular manufacturer than on the name of the product.
Adding dyes. Some consumers consider olives harmful and even dangerous to health. In their opinion, the black color of olives gives food coloring, which then stains the brine. In support of their words, these consumers point out that the brine always remains transparent in green olives. The reason is indeed in the chemical, but it is not a dye.
Ferrous gluconate can be supplied along with oxygen during the coloring process of olives to speed up the oxidative reaction. It is his release that causes the darkening of the brine. But gluconate is used in small doses and is therefore harmless. By the way, the technology for making black olives was invented in Spain even before the advent of food coloring. To date, it has been adopted by most manufacturers.
Ripeness. It is traditionally believed that black olives are riper than green counterparts. As an argument, supporters of this point of view point to different degrees of hardness and astringency of green and black snacks. However, excess bitterness is removed from olives during processing, by adding special salts. The softness depends on the brine.

Thus, all the differences between olives and olives are not due to nature, but to processing technology. Bon Appetit!

When preparing salads and snacks, you need to know how olives differ from olives, since for some people the composition, calorie content and some other indicators that can affect health or weight are important. You need to pay attention to the color of the fruit at the time of purchase.

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Is there a difference between the two names?

The main difference between olives and olives is their name, since the fruits grow on an olive tree. Color is also one of the distinguishing features. Green (olives) are inherently medium-ripe fruits, and a similar shade may be due to the characteristics of the variety. Dark olives (black olives) are fully ripe fruits that are harvested in autumn or winter. Also, the color may depend on the varietal characteristics of the trees on which they formed.

97% of the harvest is used to produce olive oil and only the remaining 3% becomes the familiar canned product. Fresh olives and olives are hard,. The high cost of canned fruits is explained by the fact that they need to be soaked in saline for at least 6 months in order to acquire a pleasant aroma and become soft.

Olives are the fruits of a cultivated species of the olive tree.

The main answer to the question of what is the difference between olives and olives is their cooking time (green ones become suitable for consumption faster, dark ones require a long period of salting). Also among the differences between the fruits is a modern invention of manufacturers - the use of fillings to give the olives a variety of flavors and enhance the aroma. Olives are sold without additives, as stuffing caused a significant deterioration in taste.

It is important to consider one more thing: in Russia, in 99% of cases, you can buy only olives. Dark olives are not real olives, but olives that are artificially colored using the following processes:

alkalinity;
oxidation;
stabilization.

Artificial ripening is achieved by alkaline soaking, but in the case of olives, the fruits are additionally kept in water (after six months for all fruits). The compressor passes air through it, as a result of which the olives oxidize and acquire a dark color that real olives have. This process is repeated several times, since as a result the pulp should turn black to the bone. In order to preserve the color achieved as a result of soaking, a stabilizer is added to the olives - iron gluconate (the manufacturer must indicate it on the jar in the "composition" section).

Ferrous gluconate does not harm the body, as it is an additional source of iron, a component that is part of hemoglobin. It is prescribed for the treatment of anemia. It is easy to visually distinguish dyed olives from real olives - they always have a rich black color, there is shine.

European olive or olive tree is an evergreen plant. Its height is small in comparison with other representatives of the genus Oliva. The main direction of the use of fruits: obtaining a healthy product -. Homeland is the Mediterranean (Greece, Cyprus). There are no wild representatives.

The modern spread of culture - trees are planted in countries such as:

Iran;
Mexico;
Peru;
Italy;
Azerbaijan;
India (Northern Territories);
Pakistan.

You can also see olive plantations on the Black Sea coast: in the Crimea, in Abkhazia, there are plantings in Sochi or Tuapse.

Olive tree with fruits

To the question of what is the difference between olives and black olives, one can safely answer: only color and degree of maturity. Color scores are not a basis for separation, as some varieties of olives may darken over time during the canning process.

Biological features of culture:

the height of the tree in most cases reaches 4-5 meters, the highest representatives of the species are 12 meters;
the trunk is covered with gray bark;
branches are long, located at a slight slope;
old trees have a lot of damage (hollows appear on the trunks in 90% of cases).

Since the plant is dioecious, in order to obtain a crop in the future, it is necessary to plant a female and male tree next to (or in the same hole). Leaf Features:

simple;
narrow;
leathery.

The color of the plate is silver below, green with a gray tint above. Foliage renewal occurs 1 time in 3 years.

Trees begin the flowering process in early spring - in April. The process can continue until July 15-20, as the climatic zones where the culture grows are different. The flowers are fragrant, small in size. Their color is white, they form inflorescences, in which an average of 30 flowers are located. It is important to note that lack of nutrients or moisture before flowering will result in lower yields. That is why it is recommended to fertilize and water 1.5 months before flowering (in early March). If these actions are not taken, then cross-pollination will help to save yields.

- drupes that have an oval or elongated shape. Size 7-40 mm (length) m 10-20 mm (width). The nose of the fruit can be either pointed or blunt. The perianth is well expressed, contains oil.

The color of the pulp of ripened fruits is varied. This indicator depends on the variety and can be:

black;
rich purple;
green;
yellow-green.

On the outside, 90% of the fruits have a coating that resembles a wax layer. The stone in olives is hard, the surface is grooved. The maturation process of European Olive lasts about 5 months after flowering. Feature: the yield increases significantly after the tree reaches the age of 20 years. If the climatic conditions are favorable for him, then during the year you can collect 2 full-fledged crops.

What is the difference between black and green fruits?

In order to understand the difference between olives and olives, you need to look at the composition of the fruit - it will be identical. That is why the main indicator is the external color of the fruit, as well as the time when it was collected. Usually, manufacturers do not indicate what olives are and how they differ from olives, but in order not to make a mistake, you should understand the features.

Olives, like olives, are fruits of the olive tree. The former have a green or yellowish tint of flesh and skin. They contain little oil. The stone in different varieties is different, so the amount of pulp in the fruit also changes. Olives begin to be harvested as soon as they reach the required size (depending on the variety). Olives from the tree (without going through the canning process) are bitter in taste. The most juicy are the fruits that, after factory processing, retained the stone, but their taste is slightly different from those in which the stone is removed. This is due to the fact that in the case of olives, a common culinary trick is to add certain ingredients to them (lemon, anchovy, fish).

Olives take longer to ripen on tree branches, but take on a familiar dark hue during the canning process. It takes them more than 6 months to do this. A similar effect affects the taste of the fruit. Olives are not stuffed, they may contain a bone. The addition of ingredients affects the taste and quality of the product negatively. There is more oil in fruits than in olives.

What is more useful?

Based on the fact that the fruits of the olive tree can be of different colors, the answer to the question of what is healthier than olives or black olives will be: the same. There is only a slight difference - olives have a little less oil (vegetable fat).

In general, the composition of the fruits is identical. They contain vitamin complexes (B, C, E), pectin and a set of microelements useful for the body.

When choosing which is better - olives or olives, you need to remember that a rich dark color is achieved by a long ripening process (or artificial "ripening"), but the main set of useful substances is the same, so in most cases the choice is determined by the aesthetic side.

What tastes better?

It is unequivocal to say that olives or olives cannot be tastier, since these are individual indicators - a tendency to salty, spicy, love for oily foods.

Green fruits have a mild and spicy taste, while olives have a more pronounced taste with a slight hint of bitterness.

The purchase depends on the purpose of use - it is better to put olives in salads with vegetables, as they will not interrupt the taste of other ingredients, olives in pizza, as they will add piquancy to the filling.

What color is better to choose?

When choosing what color to buy olives, you need to remember that a natural product cannot have saturated colors. Olives should not be bright yellow or deep green, just like olives should not be jet black. If the choice is determined by culinary recipes, then here you need to look at the overall color scheme of the dish, and then see which shade will be the most harmonious.

Useful video

To understand in more detail how olives differ from olives, the video will help:

Conclusion

The answer to the question why olives are black and olives are green will be the time of their ripening, the period of being on the branches of olive trees. You also need to remember about "artificial ripening", carefully read the composition of the product.
Each of these fruits is a source of vitamins and antioxidants, positively affects the functioning of all systems and organs.
Canned fruits have a salty taste and a special aroma, as they undergo a long cooking process.
When purchasing olives and olives, what is the difference between them - you need to know only in order to enjoy the desired taste, since there are no other fundamental differences between them.

Green, purple or black olives are loved by gourmets all over the world. Their exquisite taste and tender flesh make them desirable not only in the daily diet, but also on the festive table. With olives, you can cook a lot of mouth-watering dishes, starting with the simplest - olives in a marinade, ending with complex multi-component salads and fruits stuffed with anchovies or almonds. Let's talk about how to choose delicious berries, and how they are good for health! How not to get poisoned by an olive delicacy and take only benefit from it?

Uninitiated gourmets are sure that olives and olives are the fruits of two different trees. But both the first and the second are collected on the same tree. The color of the berries depends on the time of harvest: white or green olives are early, unripe fruits that are usually picked in October. At this time, the berries are very elastic, have light flesh. The size of the olives has already reached its caliber, dictated by the variety, but the shades of the fruit can still vary. So, if you leave the berries on the tree, then in November they will acquire a beautiful pink hue, and in December they will become reddish-black, dark purple or dark chestnut!

A natural question arises, when do olives become very dark, deep black? Such fruits in Russia are called olives. Experts assure that, despite all the variety of olive varieties, there are no such ones in nature. Black fruits with a beautiful glossy surface are the result of chemical processing of berries by humans!

Expert comment

The variety of olives is great and depends on the time of their harvest: green, white (golden), black and already dried. The olive harvest period is from October to January-February.

Olives can be of two types: fruits that have ripened directly on the tree (in a natural way), this path is longer (about 4 months) and clearly not profitable for producers, and fruits that have turned black due to food additives E 579 and E 524, in solution which are immersed in young fruits. This technical process is faster, less expensive and more profitable for the seller, but, of course, not for the buyer.

You can distinguish olives by the pit, in natural dark olives it is, and in specially colored olives most often there is no pit.

What fruits are the most delicious?

On sale you can find olives in any form - with and without a stone, whole and chopped, simple and with a huge variety of fillings to choose from. This is because these berries have a neutral taste and go well with all four basic tastes - salty, sour, bitter and sweet. When choosing fruits for feasts, it is important to consider some of the nuances!

White or green olives picked from the tree when unripe are usually tough and may have a bitter taste. Therefore, such fruits go to markets and shops in a processed form - salted, pickled or stuffed. But the ripened fruits, which have a dark color, given to them by nature itself, differ from the first ones in a high oil content, so they are soft, have amazing flavors, and, as usual, are expensive. They are often used to make olive oil, but they are also sold whole.

If you see "olives" in the store, the color of which is uniform and very dark - almost black, in front of you is a sample created by industrial "colorists". Real dark olives never have an even tone, always with transitions. For example, from dark purple to green or brown. In all other cases, the product is processed. An honest manufacturer will indicate this on the label with the inscription Black Oxidized Olives, which means “black oxygen-oxidized olives” in English.

As you may have guessed, such berries were picked from a tree in October, when they were still green, and then subjected to oxidation with oxygen. This procedure usually takes 7-10 days. Green fruits are immersed in a specially prepared solution with food additives E 579 and E 585 (iron gluconate and lactate), and after a few days they become black with a beautiful glossy overflow.

And although these additives are approved for use in the food industry, you should not get carried away with such berries. The fact is that in one jar of olives weighing 300 g, there is about half the dry weight of olives. And these olives contain 22.5 mg of iron, which exceeds the recommended daily intake of this mineral by experts.

If you love olives, give preference to those with a beautiful dark color that nature has given. Fruits that have reached full maturity are distinguished by rich flavors and juicy pulp. They bring exceptional benefits to the human body, like good olive oil. It is easy to recognize such olives behind the walls of a glass jar - the liquid in which they are contained is usually transparent, almost colorless.

What are the benefits of tasty fruits?

The composition of olives and black olives contains many substances that the human body will accept with gratitude. According to their qualitative characteristics, these fruits have won the glory of natural "healers". And this is no accident!

They contain unsaturated fatty acids, which prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis, heart disease and blood vessels. Recent studies by scientists have proven that the percentage of breast cancer in the fair sex is the least in Mediterranean countries, where the use of olives and olive oil is a tribute to tradition and an indispensable attribute of the daily diet. But olives are a rich source of three types of fatty acids at once - oleic, lanolin and linolenic!

Olives and useful essential oils abound, which have the ability to slow down the aging process of the body, prevent the appearance of age spots and wrinkles. And B vitamins, which are also found in valuable berries, support the nervous system and provide a person with a charge of vivacity, increase vitality. Therefore, olives are good as snacks.

Pleasing olives and the content of beauty vitamins - C and E. These are well-known antioxidants that minimize the destructive effect of free radicals in the body, thereby preventing the development of many diseases and preserving the beauty, youth and health of a person.

Expert comment

The benefits of olives are great due to the content of a large amount of vitamin E, iron, antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids. Due to this, natural olives reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improve the condition of hair and nails. Olives also contain a polyphenol that helps control blood sugar levels. Natural olives are well absorbed, they do not excite the stomach, because they have a low acidity.

The calorie content of 100 grams of olives is approximately 115 calories, so you should not overeat them either. One bowl once a week will be enough. Try to choose olives that do not contain additives, especially E579 (ferrous gluconate), it is on it that allergies, intestinal upset occur, but all these reactions occur when such olives are consumed in large quantities.

The first rule of a competent choice of olives and olives is that you must see what exactly you are buying. Therefore, it is better to focus on the product in glass jars. So you can evaluate the color and size of the fruit, as well as carefully consider the marinade if the product is sold in it. Well, if there is an opportunity to buy olives by weight - even better, you can ask the seller to give a berry for testing, the taste of good olives cannot be confused with anything.

On a note!

The secret of distinguishing real ripe olives from artificial ones, without opening the jar of the product, is the content of additive E 579. If you see it in the list of ingredients, you can be sure that these are artificial black fruits. Without this additive, they will quickly acquire their natural color, so its presence in the bank is not even discussed!

The best varieties of olives, according to experts - with pits. These are, as a rule, ripened fruits, juicy and oily. Their pricing policy is higher than pitted olives, but this is exactly the situation when it is not worth saving.

Pay special attention to the choice of stuffed olives, they usually have a high content of preservatives to extend the shelf life and preserve the rich flavors of the products. At the same time, olives stuffed with anchovies or garlic are the most budgetary, and one of the most expensive is almonds. The best product is, of course, fresh.

The story about olives would be incomplete if we did not share the recipes for the "crown" dishes. What recipes are ideal for a festive table and everyday life?

Cold appetizer "Olives with tuna"

For this dish you will need large olives, tuna, some mustard, apple cider vinegar and chili peppers. Combine all the listed ingredients and mix, season with a small amount of olive oil and lemon juice.

Festive Olive Snack

First you need to prepare a spicy sauce. To do this, combine chopped garlic, chili pepper and salt, as well as the orange zest of one fruit and stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained. After that, add vinegar - the sauce is ready. It must be added to a salad bowl with olives and mix everything again.

Pickled olives and black olives

Take one glass of olives and black olives and transfer them to a glass jar. Start preparing the marinade. Mince 2 garlic cloves and chilli. In a separate bowl, combine a quarter cup of olive oil and the same amount of wine sauce. Add crushed early garlic and pepper, a teaspoon of dried oregano, and the zest of one lemon.

Bring all this to a boil over low heat and boil for 5 minutes. At the end of cooking, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and pour the olives and black olives with the resulting marinade. To acquire a refined taste, it is enough for them to “sweat” in brine for 24 hours.

Olives and olives. Chemical olives. What are the benefits of olives

Russia occupies an honorable second place in the world in terms of olive consumption. This is all the more surprising because until the beginning of the 1990s we practically did not try olives, because they did not grow in our country. But another fact is even more surprising - having sat down on these fruits of the Mediterranean, we do not know anything about them. Olives and olive oil form the basis of the Mediterranean diet, recognized as the healthiest in the world. Olives contain over 100 substances, not all of which have yet been studied.

Olives and olives
And olives and black olives - the fruits of the olive tree - the European olive - Olea europea, or, as it is also called, the cultivated olive. But if you, when buying a jar of black fruits, think that these are mature olives, then most likely you are deeply mistaken. In almost a hundred percent of cases, these are pseudo-olives made from green olives. These are the wonders of food technology. Until recently, the world did not know such olives, they were made in the old grandfather way, and green was green, and black was black. But when they decided to make olives a global product, food technology engineers changed their production beyond recognition. As a result, they were made quickly and cheaply.
Green Ripe Olives. They should not be considered immature. Their color is from yellow-green to straw, and inside they are white. The olives themselves are dense, there is less oil in them. They are stored longer, and they can be processed by traditional and modern chemical methods.
Olives-Turning Color. Olives that begin to change color, becoming red-brown. Their flesh is still white, but the “berries” themselves are no longer so hard. They can be processed by both old and new methods, using alkali.
Olives of natural black maturity (Naturally Black Ripe Olives). Naturally blackened olives on the tree. They are considered the most expensive and high-quality, it is better to collect them manually and before the cold weather. Worse stored, easier to spoil. The flesh of the fruit is already dark. They are best processed by traditional methods - without chemistry. You can make olives the Greek way by drying them.
chemical olives
Fresh olives are practically inedible, they contain a very bitter and, by the way, useful substance oleoropain. To remove it, the olives were traditionally soaked in salt water, often seawater, and fermented for several months. This natural process of removing bitterness took 3-6 months for black olives and 6 months to a year for green olives. Modern large food concerns cannot make a product with such a long production cycle - they need everything to be done quickly and stored for a long time. Food scientists have figured out how to compress this time to a few days. To quickly wash away the bitterness, they began to add alkali to the brine - caustic soda, or, as it is also called, caustic soda. As a result of such a chemical attack, the production cycle was compressed to several days.
Food technology geniuses have learned how to make green olives black. If oxygen is still passed through the brine with green olives, the olives will turn black and become similar to natural black olives, which are traditionally more expensive.
The vast majority of olives that we sell under the guise of black olives do just that. And in general, almost all green olives that we have on the shelves in stores are made by an accelerated chemical method using alkali. This is very unfortunate, because olives, white or green, made in the traditional way, are the product of fermentation - like our sauerkraut. Naturally, they are incomparably better and more useful than leached ones. They have a more elegant taste, they are juicier, their flesh does not look like a dry sponge soaked in brine, like leached ones. And finally, they are much more useful - they retain more of the active substances for which olives are so famous and which have a beneficial effect on health.
How, when buying, to distinguish green olives, brought to black, from natural black olives, or, as we say, olives, and how to distinguish leached olives from those made in the traditional way - without chemistry?
If caustic soda is added to olives, then it must be present on the label. Logical, but wrong. Here is a typical composition of such green olives - olives, water, salt, acidity regulator lactic acid, antioxidant citric acid. And no food additive E524 - this is how caustic soda is designated, or, as it is also called, caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide. Why is this substance absent in the composition, because it is used in production? The alkali quickly penetrates the olives, killing the bitterness, but then it is washed away, and no mention of it remains on the label. This is officially allowed.
Unfortunately, the current labeling system does not help us to distinguish these accelerated olives from traditional ones. This can be said with certainty if the manufacturer specifically indicates the method of making olives on the label. But this happens infrequently, even if they are made in the old grandfather way. Therefore, they can only be distinguished by indirect signs.
First, leached olives are usually 2-4 times cheaper. Of course, there are exceptions when leached olives are trying to sell at a high price. But there are no cheap traditional olives.
Secondly, olives that have undergone chemical treatment with alkali are more often produced in iron cans (unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule).
Thirdly, in addition to brine, olive oil, lemon juice and some other natural ingredients that are indicated in the composition are often added to traditional olives.
Fourthly, olives after alkali become, as it were, tougher and drier. Their surface is shiny and smooth, without the slightest defect. Traditional green olives are juicier, more elastic, and there may be defects on their surface - dots, specks. You should not be afraid of them - olives are like that in reality, and outwardly they become ideal after treatment with alkali.

Olives black and artificial
Most artificially blackened olives are made in Spain, they are even called Spanish-style olives. But be careful: in other Mediterranean countries, such production is also used. True, olives are often made there using traditional methods. Fortunately, these blackened olives can always be distinguished from natural black olives made in the traditional way. This is despite the fact that Russian label requirements, traditionally unfriendly to the consumer, do not force manufacturers to disclose information about how they are made. It’s just that in their composition there is always a “password” that allows you to distinguish pseudo-olives from real black ones that have ripened to such a color on a tree. And that password is ferrous gluconate, or E579. It is a color stabilizer that prevents oxidized olives from turning green again.
Here is a typical composition of such olives - olives, water, salt, ferrous gluconate. Lactic or citric acid, vinegar and some other acidifiers, which will be indicated in the composition, can also be added to them. Mediterranean producers can call such olives in Russian olives, black olives, large selected olives. But, no matter how they contrive and describe the advantages of their product on the packaging, if ferrous gluconate is present in the composition, then these are blackened olives. And that means they were collected green, treated with alkali, “colored” with oxygen, their color stabilized with the help of this substance.
In addition, artificially blackened olives are easy to distinguish, even if they are sold by weight and the composition is not indicated anywhere. They are very black, often even shiny. This is an unnatural color. Natural mature black olives are duller and brownish. They are often unevenly colored - the barrel facing the sun is brighter and darker - it ripens faster, and the one hiding in the shade is paler. These flaws in appearance, indicating the naturalness of olives. They are clearly visible in glass jars or when olives are sold by weight.
Olives made by traditional methods, without chemicals, can be not only black or green, but also pinkish, slightly purple or brownish. These are either medium-ripe olives, or special varieties of olives that darken moderately. For example, Greek Kalamata olives are purple rather than black.
Greek style olives
There is another kind of traditional olives made without chemicals and even without brine. These are olives in Greek, or, as they are more commonly called among us, olives in Greek. They are not sold in brine, they are simply poured into jars or packed in plastic bags. Often a little oil is added to them. Outwardly, they are very different from other olives - their fruits are somewhat shriveled, dried. Their taste is also different - they are a little more bitter, but many people like it.
The word "olives" is a purely Russian invention. From time immemorial, we called the olive tree an olive tree, hence the olives came from. This name is very logical - from the Greek name of the olive (olea), the word “oil” itself came into being, which became part of a lot of languages. That is, in Greek, the name of the olive also sounds something like an olive tree. In the Mediterranean homeland, all its fruits are called olives. If they are black, then they are Black olives, and if they are green, then they are Green olives. Following the same logic, our olives also had to be divided into green and black. But, when we had olive fruits, they retained their native name “olives”. This word caught on quickly. And the popular consciousness quickly divided these synonyms according to the color of the fruit. Many suppliers of olives accepted it, and they began to write “olives” in Russian on jars with black “berries”.
Paint instead of taste
In summer, salads and appetizers with olives are very popular - they are both hearty and healthy. But most of the olives sold on the Russian market are fake.
This conclusion was reached by the experts of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights "Public Control", who conducted an examination of this product.
As samples, the experts chose five popular brands, on the labels of which the inscription "olives" appeared. When evaluating the appearance, the experts paid attention to the nature of the surface, the uniformity of the size of the olives, the presence of mechanical damage and the change in the shape of the fruit after canning. One requirement was put forward for the color of the fruit - uniformity. The consistency was evaluated taking into account tenderness, roughness, fibrousness. In this case, the fruits should not have been boiled. The olives were also tested for the absence or presence of foreign flavors and odors. To avoid bias, the tasting was carried out "blindly" - the "examiners" did not know the names of the brands.
As a result of the study, it turned out that all tested products contain iron gluconate (or E579), that is, a color stabilizer, and the manufacturer does not hide this, information about the content of the additive is on the package. It is with its help that olives acquire their thick dark shade. However, such products have nothing to do with real olives. These are simply green olives dyed black.
According to the content of nutrients, artificial olives cannot be compared with natural ones. The real ones contain a third more fatty acids, and their nutritional value is 2.5 times higher. However, black olives, thanks to ferrous gluconate, are rich in iron, which is necessary for the production of hemoglobin. The lack of this substance can cause anemia. However, they cannot be abused. Otherwise, failures in the work of the liver, heart, kidneys are possible. The recommended daily allowance for iron for adults is 10-20 mg per day. One jar of proven olives contains approximately 22.5 mg of iron. Therefore, it is dangerous to get too carried away with such olives. Experts advise eating natural olives or green olives. And blackened, in reasonable quantities, should be used only as a snack, addition to salads and sandwiches.
In Germany, on the packaging of blackened olives they write "geschwärzt" - "painted black". In Russia, truthful information is not indicated and only the inscription “olives” is placed on banks.

What are the benefits of olives
In the Mediterranean countries, almost everywhere where olives are grown, one interesting eating habit can be observed - some people swallow several olives right with the pits during meals. There is an opinion among the people that it is useful and even protects against cancer. Although local doctors do not confirm the usefulness of this. Some argue that the bones are digested and release useful substances. The stone of the olive is very strong, and, most likely, it is too tough for digestive enzymes. On the other hand, the kernel of an olive can contain useful substances - the contents of almost any seed, be it nuts or seeds, are very rich in them. Therefore, maybe it is better to chop olive pits like nuts? Fortunately, for most, the bones are harmless, but in people with adhesive disease, constipation and sluggish intestines, they can become the “growth point” around which a bezoar is formed - a foreign body in the stomach and intestines. Sometimes this leads to digestive problems, up to intestinal obstruction. And pay attention to the shape of the pits, in some varieties of olives they have sharp ends and can injure the mucous membrane. By the way, the Mediterranean diet is very healthy, and therefore it protects against cancer and other diseases in and of itself.
Some nutritionists believe that the Mediterranean diet is not entirely suitable for residents of cold countries, including Russia. The best option for them is the Norwegian diet.
People have always associated the olive tree with something divine. The ancient Greeks believed that they owed the creation of the olive to the goddess Athena, so the olive branch personified wisdom and fertility for them. The Egyptians attributed the olive to the goddess Isis and were sure that this tree was a symbol of justice. Christians believe that a dove with an olive branch in its beak brought the news of a truce between God and people after the Flood. Perhaps such a respectful attitude towards olive trees is due to their longevity. The olive tree grows very slowly, and some of the trees are believed to be over a thousand years old. Perhaps that is why many nations have a belief that the olive never dies and can live forever.
The fruits of the "eternal" tree may be completely different from each other. Some varieties are comparable in size to cherries, while others are more like plums. The color changes as it matures. Green olives develop a pinkish-brown hue over time, and when they are fully ripe, they turn black.
But all varieties of olives and black olives have one thing in common - they cannot be eaten fresh. The fruit, freshly plucked from the tree, is very tough, and if you still manage to bite off a small piece, an inexpressible bitterness awaits you. Therefore, to get a delicious snack, olives and black olives are soaked for a long time, and then salted or pickled. At the same time, salted fruits are tougher than pickled ones.
The legendary Avicenna considered olives to be a cure for almost all diseases. The famous doctor was not so wrong, because these fruits are amazingly useful for our body. Olives and olives contain a lot of B vitamins - the main helpers of our brain and nervous system, vitamin A - necessary for sharp vision, vitamin D - necessary for strong bones and healthy teeth, ascorbic acid - strengthens the immune system, vitamin E - protects against harmful environmental influences , prevents cardiovascular diseases, premature aging and malignant tumors. But still, the main wealth of olives is oil. Its content in fruits can range from 50 to 80%. Moreover, the riper the olives, the more oil they contain. Olive oil is a truly unique product. It has a huge amount of unsaturated fatty acids. They are necessary to reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, and therefore, to protect our cardiovascular system and prevent atherosclerosis. The oil contained in olives improves digestion and stimulates the appetite. And that's why olives are often served before dinner as an appetizer. And if you eat 10 olives daily, you can protect yourself from the development of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Olives help to neutralize any substances that are toxic to the body. Therefore, they are considered an ideal addition to many alcoholic cocktails. Olives not only perfectly set off the taste of the drink, but also protect against morning sickness after a friendly party.
Since ancient times, people have believed that olives and black olives increase male power. Whether this is really so is still unknown, but the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries, where olives are included in the daily menu, are really famous for their hot temperament.
On the shelves you can find olives stuffed with anchovy, lemon, pepper, pickles and other goodies. But stuffing olives is not accepted. It is believed that their taste is already rich enough and you should not “spoil” it with a variety of additives. The only "manipulation" allowed in relation to olives is taking out the pit. However, gourmets are sure that this operation only spoils the quality and taste of olives.
If you are going to put your favorite jar of olives in your bag, be sure to pay attention to their caliber. It is indicated by numbers written through a fraction, for example: 70/90, 140/160 or 300/220. These figures mean the number of fruits per kilogram of dry weight. Therefore, the larger the number indicating the caliber, the smaller the olives. So, the inscription 240/260 says that there are no less than 240 and no more than 260 olives per kilogram. Fruits closed in a jar should be approximately the same shape and size - this indicates the quality of the product.
And of course, the bank should not be deformed, it should not have traces of rust and other damage.
Scientists have found out why the inhabitants of the Mediterranean are less likely to get breast cancer. The key to the puzzle was oleic acid - being the main component of olive oil, it is included in most local dishes. Studies performed at Northwestern University Chicago show that this substance not only reduces the risk of a malignant tumor, but also increases the effectiveness of treatment if it does occur.
Scientists have also found that the risk of a heart attack is reduced if most of the calories consumed by the patient come from olive oil, and not from other foods. The study involved 342 people, of whom 171 had already experienced one myocardial infarction.
And according to other studies, olive oil can help your sore head no worse than dipyrone, since the substances found in it correspond in effect to ibuprofen contained in painkillers.
Australian researchers have found that the more olive oil people consume, the less wrinkles they get. Oleic acid, which is part of olives and extra virgin olive oil, penetrates through the membranes of skin cells, filling them, which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. To include as many olives as possible in your daily diet, use olive oil for cooking, add olives to pasta sauces and salads - or eat them whole.