Olives can be black or not. Difference between olives and black olives

How big is the difference between black olives and olives? What to look for when choosing in a store? Let's look at the main differences.

Color

The main, and perhaps the main difference, is the different color of the fruits. In olives it is black, in olives it is green. Therefore, many people mistakenly believe that these are different fruits. But it turns out that these are the fruits of one tree, the olive tree. Since time immemorial, the olive has been revered as a tree responsible for the connection between heaven and earth, as a symbol of wisdom and immortality. When the olive tree blooms, it produces white flowers, which are subsequently replaced by green fruits.

An olive is a ripened olive.

This is a fairly common misconception. But olives get their dark color not during the ripening process, but after treatment with special chemicals. The only olive variety whose ripened fruits are black is the Chalkidiki variety.

Olives are more oily and contain up to 80% oil. The famous olive oil is produced from these fruits; it owes its name to it. Black olives exist only in Russia. For a European, such a classification does not exist; in Europe, olives are black olives, and nothing more.

Treatment

Olives are divided into two groups. From the first, enriched with fats, olive oil is obtained. The second group, less oily, is used for canning. IN fresh they are not eaten, regardless of the degree of ripening. This is due to the fact that they are incredibly hard and bitter. The canning process continues for almost six months. To do this, olives are soaked in a saline solution. Unfortunately, manufacturers artificially speed up this process by using stabilizers and various oxides. Brine recipes differ in composition, depending on the manufacturer.

Olives undergo longer canning. In its process, the product is oxidized with the help of oxygen, as a result they lose their original hardness and acquire a dark color. Therefore, olives and olives differ from each other only after chemical treatment.

The next difference is the filling. Manufacturers offer many types stuffed olives. The filling can be very varied, to suit every taste. Olives, unlike olives, are not stuffed. It turned out that this only worsens their taste.

Taste

Olives taste sharper, with sourness. Olives are softer and oilier.

The nutritional value

Avicenna also wrote that olives help against all diseases. Olive fruits are well absorbed by the body, even with the pit. They are rich in substances that have a beneficial effect on all organs and systems. human body. The difference between olives and green olives can be traced only in the quantitative content of monounsaturated fatty acids. The oilier the fruits, the more there are. Otherwise there is no significant difference between them.

Podas are rich in vitamins B, E and K, folic acid and a whole complex of microelements (calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron and others).

Medicinal properties

Improvement of blood vessels. The presence of monounsaturated fatty acids promotes the removal of bad cholesterol and prevents vascular atherosclerosis.
B vitamins strengthen the nervous system.
Eating olives is recommended to prevent the formation of stones in the bile ducts.
Regulation of lipid and water-fat metabolism. For this purpose, olives and black olives are useful for dietary nutrition to combat excess weight.
Antioxidants in fruits prevent the occurrence of malignant tumors.
The calcium contained in the fruits will compensate for its deficiency in the body and strengthen the skeletal system.
Pectins contained in large quantities, neutralize toxic substances. They remove toxins and heavy metal salts from the body. Therefore, a jar of olives is indispensable for festive table When drinking alcohol, this will reduce its harmful effects on the body. They are recommended to be included in the diet under unfavorable environmental conditions and when working in hazardous industries.

The consumption of olives is contraindicated only in cases of cholecystitis. It is not for nothing that the olive is called sacred; it is truly unique. This tree generously shares its fruits with people, providing them with health and longevity.

The noble olive tree gives tasty and juicy fruits. These small berries produce oils that are indispensable in cooking.

But are canned fruits healthy? Read what is the difference between black olives and olives.

Olives and olives are both fruits of the same tree. Color is a trick of the manufacturer.

In fact, only green olives are pickled, and the black berries get their color thanks to the brine recipe.

Important! Marinade for black olives is prepared with canned additive E579.

It is because of iron gluconate and the reaction with oxygen that green fruits turn black.

Green olives taste bitter. They are dense and hard, and are in the first stage of ripening.

For canning and pickling, you need precisely those fruits that are not yet ripe. Therefore, there is practically no difference between black olives and black olives.

There are only two criteria for distinction:

Color due to recipe specifics.
Titles. Olives are black fruits, green olives are called.

Ripe olives on the tree already turn black - these are ripe and soft berries that are suitable for making oil.

At some point they themselves fall from the trees. Remember, black and green olives are the same thing.

Important! Fruits for preservation are collected by hand when they are green Pink colour.

Ripe specimens fall off on their own, so the factory lays out special nets under the trees.

Benefits and harms

Olives are healthy due to their rich mineral and vitamin composition. The fruits consist of 6% protein components, 9% fiber, 23% water, 56% fats and oils.

You can see the detailed mineral and vitamin composition in the table:

Important! Eating a few olives a day will help keep your body healthy.

Housewives often serve olives to the table without even knowing about it. nutritional value product. Because of high calorie content small fruits - perfect option snacks for alcoholic drinks.

Even canned food benefit the body. They prevent alcohol poisoning, improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Other beneficial properties include:

Healing ability. Eating several fruits a day will help heal microcracks in the stomach and intestines.
Olives increase stomach acidity, stimulating fermentation.
Helps cleanse blood vessels. Thanks to the rich composition of saturated and unsaturated acids, omega 3 and omega 6, olives affect blood composition and have an antithrombotic effect.
Reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. Another ability that should please olive lovers. Beneficial influence deserved thanks to omega 3.
Disperses bile. It is very important to use required amount exactly vegetable fats people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
An effect on liver cells has also been noticed - the fruits can improve the process of organ regeneration.
Prevention of cancer. These data are confirmed by scientific research.
Anti-inflammatory effect. Due to their rich vitamin and mineral composition, olives help cope with viral attacks, strengthening the immune system and reducing inflammation during illness.
Rejuvenating effect. Fruits are leaders in the content of vitamins B and E, which improve skin elasticity, keeping a woman beautiful for many years. It is also believed that girls who eat olives have a higher chance of getting pregnant.
Natural aphrodisiac. Thanks to improved blood circulation, men do not have to worry; an erection will come at the most opportune moment.

Small and delicious berries can also cause harm. If you have the opportunity, do the preparation yourself. However, most people buy ready-made pickled products.

Therefore, the list of contraindications includes:

People suffering from gastritis and ulcerative lesions of the food system.
Children under 3 years of age and allergy sufferers.
Nursing mothers.

Important! Before consuming and including olives in your diet, it is better to consult a doctor for people with pancreatitis, cystitis and cholelithiasis.

Recipe for salads and solyanka

IN pure form the product is rarely consumed. The most common way to use it in cooking is adding it to salads and dishes.

You can decorate pizza with fruits, add to your favorite vegetable salad. You can often find black or green fruits on a plate in Greek salad.

Getting ready home option according to the following recipe:

cut in large pieces tomatoes cucumbers, bell pepper and purple onion.
Cut the olives into slices or slices.
Add your favorite spices. According to the classics of the genre - oregano and basil.
Add a few drops to the salad instead of salt soy sauce, sprinkle lemon juice.
Some gourmets improve the recipe with chopped quail eggs or chicken breast.
Season the salad with olive oil to taste.

Another famous method of application is soup. On meat broth getting ready special kind called Solyanka. The composition includes almost everything that was found in the refrigerator.

Weld beef broth, add chopped following products:

Raw smoked brisket.
Pickled cucumbers.
Tomatoes.
Onions, carrots, potatoes.
Garlic, parsley, dill, pepper and spices.
Sausages.
Lemon.
Olives.

Season the cooked dish with sour cream; if there is a lack of fat content, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Enjoy unusual, but very rich and delicious dish! You will be especially pleased with the recipe if you cook the soup on open fire Outdoors. Bon appetit!

Useful video

Olives are delicious and healthy berries. With their constant consumption in food, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stomach ulcers is reduced. But are all olives equally healthy?

How are olives different from olives?

Oddly enough, they grow on the same tree - olive. Only we call them differently. Olives are the name of green berries, similar to English word"oil" which means oil. And the name of the dark berries - olives - is similar to the Russian word oil.

The color of ripe olives ranges from rich green to dark purple. If in front of you is a black olive and rich color, then know that it is spoiled. This color can be obtained using additional chemicals.

How are black olives obtained?

The green fruit is actually very bitter. Once upon a time, to get rid of the bitter taste, olives were soaked in a salty solution for two to three months. Then they were filtered, and they acquired the taste that is familiar to us. Over time, the market volumes grew, and there was a need to produce this product in large volumes.

Everyone wants to see beautiful, black olives on the table, and the manufacturer resorts to the following trick. Green berries are placed in a sodium hydroxide solution. When interacting with oxygen, a chemical reaction occurs and the olive turns black.

Then the berries settle and are washed from caustic sodium. They are filled with a brine of salt and spices, and iron gluconate is added, thanks to which the black color of the olive is stabilized. If you do not add it, the berries will return to a light green color.

It turns out that we are eating the appearance of olives. It doesn't have useful substances, and with constant use it only harms our health.

How to avoid counterfeiting

It is advisable to choose olives in glass jar. You can see what berries are inside. The brine should be clear. But olives should not have a uniform, rich black color.
Look carefully at the lid. If there is rust or a crumpled can, it means that these olives were stored in the wrong conditions.
When choosing olives, look at the size indicated on the bottom of the jar. These numbers indicate how many olives there are per kilogram. The average caliber ranges from 180/200 to 260/280. It is better to choose those olives on the jars of which the difference in caliber will be the smallest.
Read the composition. If it only indicates olives, salt, water and spices, this means that you have good and high-quality berries. But when lactic acid E 270 and iron gluconate stabilizer E 579 are added to the composition, you know that such olives are colored.
The pulp of high-quality berries does not differ from the outside color of the olive.

With these tips, you can choose delicious, healthy and natural olives.

The fruits of the olive tree are very popular all over the world. People divide them into olives and olives, what is the difference between these fruits and is there any?

Many people believe that black fruits are olives, and green fruits are olives. But the fact is that the word “olives” exists only in Russian. In international practice it is not used: both black and green fruits are called olives. Thus, olives and black olives are synonymous.

There is also an opinion that the difference between olives and olives lies in the degree of ripeness of the fruits of the olive tree - the European olive.

A little about olive

The olive tree was originally considered a gift from the gods to farmers. It practically does not grow in the wild. This evergreen subtropical plant has been grown for olive oil since ancient times. The homeland of olive trees is the Mediterranean. Initially, the olive tree was cultivated only in Greece; currently, all countries in the region are engaged in growing and processing the harvest of this plant. In addition, plantings of olive trees can be found in Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast, in Crimea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, as well as in Mexico and Peru. Most active exporter canned olives- Spain.

Some olive varieties are shrubs up to 3 m tall, some fruits grow on fairly tall trees - from 4 to 12 m. Olive trees have gray bark, a gnarled and crooked trunk, a hollow trunk, and the branches are long and gnarled. The leaves of the plant are narrow, leathery with a solid edge, gray-green on top and silvery on the underside. The foliage does not fall off, but is gradually replaced over 3 years.

Depending on climatic conditions, the olive tree blooms at the end of April and blooms until the end of June. The flowers are small, cream-colored, very fragrant, form clusters of 10-40 flowers in the axils of the leaves.

Olive tree fruit

Fans of these wonderful fruits may be interested in how olives grow, how and when they are collected and prepared.

Olive productivity reaches its peak only in the 20th year of life. Green olives are harvested by hand, and a special net is hung from the tree to collect ripe fruits.

Olives most often have an elongated oval shape; the size can range from 7 mm to 4 cm in length and from 1 to 2 cm in width. Olives have fleshy pulp containing large quantities of olive oil. The color of the fruit depends on the variety and degree of ripeness. Olives (and black olives) can be green, black or deep purple. Most often they have a waxy coating. The stone is very hard and grooved.

Fruit ripeness

The fruits ripen within 5 months. The crop is harvested from October to December at different stages of ripening. The fruits are given a name indicating the degree of ripeness, as well as the caliber.

In October the olives reach their maximum size. At this time they are green, regardless of the variety. The taste of such fruits is distinguished by a strong bitterness, which is neutralized with alkali during the harvesting process. This degree of maturity is called verde in Spanish.

The next stage of ripening begins in November - the color of the fruits acquires brown, golden and pink shades. The olive becomes softer and the bitter taste is reduced. This degree of ripeness, regardless of varietal, is called “white” or “blonde” (blanco), as well as “blond” or “golden” olives. Such fruits are stored in brine, a third of which is wine vinegar.

Olives are considered fully ripe once they turn dark brown, black, purple or burgundy. The final color of ripe fruit depends on the plant variety. Such olives have a slight residual bitterness, which is completely neutralized with red wine vinegar. They are tender, soft and melt in your mouth. Regardless of the variety, fruits of this degree of maturity are called black (negro). Despite the fact that olives and black olives are the same thing, black olives are most often called olives because of their distinct oily taste. These fruits are harvested in December. The yield from one plant can reach 50 kg.

In January, olives begin to wither - dry out in the sun, losing bitterness naturally. They are called that way - dried, dried or throumbes. Residents of the Mediterranean preserve them in large quantities sea salt, to which olive oil is added, served as an appetizer. Since olive is a monoecious plant, 2 plants of different sexes are planted in one hole.

The caliber is determined by the number of fruits in 1 kg. 1 kg can contain from 71 (Atlas) to 420 (Bullets B). There are 15 caliber grades, each of which has its own special name.

Biological value and varieties

Depending on the degree of ripeness, the olive contains from 50 (in ripe fruits) to 80% (in green olives) water. Each variety of olive has a different content. vegetable oil(from 6 to 30%) and protein (1-1.5 g). Ripe fruits contain up to 6% sugars, 1-4% fiber and up to 1% dry matter. Green fruits contain more dry matter (up to 5%), and fiber 1.5-2%.

In addition to the main components, olives contain vitamins B, C and E, catechins, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Depending on the purpose of the fruit, plant varieties are divided into the following groups:

Oilseeds from which olive oil is produced.
Universal - in addition to the fact that oil can be squeezed out of them, they are suitable for canning.
Canning - canteens that are used for food.

Olive oil is produced from 90% of the olive harvest. 1 liter of oil is squeezed out of 5 kg of fruit.

For preservation, fruits are selected that are at least 15 mm in diameter, identical in size, with a medium-sized stone that is easily separated from the pulp, and elastic.

Green olives

The harvested crop is salted in barrels using a 5% saline solution. During this period, the glycoside oleouropein, which is the cause of their bitterness, is washed out of the olives. In addition, brining stimulates the onset of fermentation. For this purpose, ammonium chloride or phosphate, sugar, tomato juice. Fermentation is lactic acid fermentation with the participation of lactobacilli, aerobacteria, and yeast. Fermentation lasts up to 6 weeks and ends when the pH reaches 3.5-4 and 4-4.5% salt in the fruit pulp.

After this, the fruits are sorted by color and size, rinsed, packaged and preserved in a 7% saline solution.

Black olives

Olives and olives are distinguished by color finished product. If used for technical processing ripe fruits with a dark color, they are exposed lactic acid fermentation and are preserved by dry salting or in a salt solution. These olives most often have a pit: they are soft and removing the pit can lead to their deformation.

Most often, green olives are used for preservation - denser and more elastic. The most popular method of darkening is oxidation of green fruits. Such olives are labeled “Black oxidized olives.” There are several oxidation methods.

To give green olives a black color, some producers soak the fruits in a 2% solution of caustic soda (E524) until the alkali saturates their pulp by 2/3 of the thickness. They are then soaked in clean cold water, which is changed several times within a day and a half. The color is stabilized with iron gluconate (E579). This is the easiest and cheapest way to give olives dark color.

Aeration is also used to darken olives - under the influence of oxygen, tannins are oxidized, which leads to a change in the color of the pulp.

Types of canned olives

Depending on the form in which the olives are preserved, the following markings are present on the jars:

whole (with bone);
pitted (pit removed);
cracked (broken, crushed);
sliced (cut into pieces);
stuffed (stuffed)

Both green and oxidized olives are stuffed. For the filling use paprika, garlic, fish (anchovies, tuna, salmon), shrimp, peppers, onions, capers, gherkins, Sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, almonds, oranges, lemons or their zest.

Gone are the days when they were considered a delicacy. And they were served on holidays, showing guests their refined taste. Now it is a product of everyday demand. But for many they still raise a lot of questions. We have collected the most pressing questions and given truthful answers to them.

Are olives and black olives the same thing?

Only in Russia the green fruits of the olive tree are called “olives”, and the black ones are called “olives”. In fact, they are the same fruit. It's all a matter of maturity. IN October Dense and elastic olives with light, almost white flesh are removed from the trees. They have already reached the standard size (caliber) for their variety, and the color varies from green to straw yellow. IN November The olive groves are painted in all possible shades of pink, interspersed with light chestnut. December rich in maroon, reddish-black, dark purple and dark chestnut colors. The olives are already completely ripe. These are the most expensive and high-quality olives, which differ from others in their dark pulp and the fact that they are not stored for long. There are also green olives that have undergone special processing and turned black, but know that no matter the color, they are still olives.

There are table olives and technical olives. What's the difference?

Dining fruits are characterized by juicy, tender flesh and easily separated seeds. They are used for preservation, both in pure form (with or without pits), and for stuffing with nuts, peppers, and lemons. Technical olives are smaller and tougher. They go to production olive oil.

How do green olives turn black? Is chemicals used for this? Is it safe for the body?

Green olives harvested in October are subjected to oxidation by oxygen. As a result of this procedure, which lasts from 7 to 10 days, the olives turn out black. Such fruits are called Black Oxidized Olives, that is, “black olives oxidized by oxygen.”

To stabilize the color, add to the brine ferrous gluconate - food supplement E579. Its maximum permissible level in the product is 150 mg/kg. E585 also performs a similar function, iron lactate .Both additives are approved for use in food products.

However, it is easy to calculate that in 150 g of olives (dry weight of olives in one standard 300 gram jar canned fruits) contains 22.5 mg of iron, which is more than recommended daily value. Keep this in mind choosing olives in the store.

And if you like and taste exactly black olives, then try to buy expensive, fully ripened fruits that are dark-colored by nature itself. They have a more elegant and rich taste and juicy, non-porous pulp. In addition, the liquid in which they are found is clear and almost colorless.

There are olives with pits and some without. Which ones are better?

There is an opinion that it is the pulp near the seed that greatly influences natural taste. In addition, pitted olives are much more saturated with brine, which means they develop new flavor notes. If you want to try quality product, That your choice- whole olives. Seedless fruits are best used in salads and appetizers that use rich-tasting dressings rather than olive oil. On the other hand, it is in the seeds that substances harmful to the body accumulate when the product has a long shelf life. Therefore, it is better to use pitted olives as food as early as possible.

How not to make a mistake when choosing canned olives in the store? What should you pay attention to?

1. Olives are sold in glass and tin jars. Glass, of course, is more expensive. Glass containers gives you the opportunity to evaluate the product before purchasing. The surface of the olive should be smooth and without strong, sloppy damage where the pit was removed.

2. Ripe black olives are duller, without gloss, than “colored” ones. They may also have color spots, since natural fruits have every right to do so.

3. The size of the fruits in one package (jar) must be the same. By the way, by the caliber of olives, like shrimp, you can estimate their quantity in one kilogram. The lower the numbers, the better, because these olives are large and heavy. The maximum size is 60/70, the minimum is 360/400. Although there are exceptions: in Greece there are excellent varieties with a size of 70/90.

4. On tin can there should be no rust. If it is present, this is a signal that storage conditions have been violated, which means the olives may be spoiled.

5. You can evaluate the quality of olives even at the first visual inspection already home. The seed should not fall out of the fruit. If this happens, then the olive is stale.

There are a lot of stuffed olives in stores. What fillers are the most popular? And how does the stuffing process work?

The most accessible and cheapest are olives, stuffed with garlic and anchovies. The most expensive ones are with almonds, in which case the filling turns out to be more expensive than the olive itself. Usually, when stuffing, the pits are removed mechanically, and the olives are filled with filling manually.

There are many varieties of olives, so fakes are possible. How is the varietal of a particular olive tree determined?

There are varieties that differ very much from each other: by size, oil content, taste, chemical characteristics, ripening time, bone-to-pulp ratio. It's easier with them. And there are also varieties that are so widespread and popular that it is quite difficult to keep track of their modifications in different geographical locations. It is these varieties that are susceptible to falsification. Nowadays there are special banks in Spain and Morocco, World Olive Germplasm Banks, where DNA samples of all the world's olive varieties are stored. The authenticity of a product can now be determined by conducting genetic analysis.

In addition, there are olive varieties, such as kalamata, which have been given the status Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), that is, they have an exact geographical reference to the place of origin.

All kinds of preserves are often prepared from table olives: topnade, pates, spreads, etc. Are there any specific varieties of olives that are used for this purpose? And what regulations govern the production of these products?

There are no specific varieties that are used only for preserves. In this case, of course, olives are selected that have a lot of tasty, fleshy pulp, for example “gaeta”. Today there are no laws regulating the production of preserves and each manufacturer is free to choose ingredients and recipes.

The most popular varieties of table olives from Europe:

Gordal Sevillana, Spain. Caliber 100/120, the weight of one giant olive reaches up to 12 grams. Fleshy with mild taste. Often stuffed and harvested green.

Manzanilla, Seville, Spain. Medium in size, oval in shape, reminiscent of an apple in shape (hence the name of the variety “apple”), the flesh is dense with excellent texture and a rich, memorable taste. Often used for stuffing. They are collected both green and almost black.

Hojiblanca, Andalusia, Spain. Medium sized olives. The pulp is smooth and tender, with a pleasant bitter taste. Pairs well with white meat and fish. Olives of this variety are often harvested when they are already ripe. They also go to oil production.

Picholine, Provence, France. An olive of medium and small size with a subtle, refined, slightly salty taste. Often preserved with Provencal herbs or lemon juice (acid).

Le Cailletier, Nice, France. Known as Niçoise Olives, since olives of this particular variety are recommended for use in the salad of the same name. The fruits are medium-sized with a large stone and not big amount sour pulp. Harvested when ripe, brown-purple or brown-black in color. Always sold with a pit olive oil, often with the addition of herbs.

Kalamata, Peloponnese Peninsula, Greece. Large fruits with juicy pulp turn purple when ripe and resemble almonds in their shape. Olives with a rich characteristic, rich fruity taste. They are often marinated in red wine vinegar or in olive oil. They are always sold with a bone.

Black Gaeta, Lazio, Italy. Often exposed natural drying, therefore wrinkled. They come in olive oil with herbs, in particular with rosemary. They have a moderately sour taste. There is always a bone available.