I'm sure there's a proud parent or two out there whose kid snacks on olives like grapes. I'm not one of those parents, nor was I that kid. But I can tell you I eventually came around to thesalty little flavor bombs在1990年代末,由于在平等的措施muffulettas, dirty martinis, andthis most famous and beloved recipe. I suspect many of you have similar experiences.
It's possible, though, thatyou haven't yet embraced olives, maybe based on your experience with those bland black circles some call a pizza topping. Or maybe you've spent most of your time and money in the jarred, pre-stuffed olive section of the grocery store.
I can't change the past, but I can offer the following insight that might lead you to a brighter, brinier, olive-filled future.
Think of olives as the fruits they are. Native to the Mediterranean and dating back to biblical times, they start out green on the trees and, as they ripen, develop color and flavor. (Well, the curing process also impacts their color and flavor. More on that in a minute.)
The world's major olive-growing countries are lush, dream-vacation locales: Spain, Greece, Italy, France, and Morocco. Not surprisingly, nearly all of the U.S. crop comes from California, which has the warm, dry climate conducive to olive-growing.
Olive season runs from September to December and sometimes into January.
Certain varieties, such asCastelvetrano, are picked young, while still green. So are most supermarket olives—that is, the so-calledCalifornia "ripe olives"sold in cans; they turn black during processing.
Most commercial olives also are harvested by machine, a cost-effective method that operates on the premise that olives ripen at the same rate on the tree (they don't!). The highest-quality olives are picked, sorted, and even stuffed by hand, says Ryan Foote, a Whole Foods Market specialty coordinator. You'll pay more for them.
Raw olives are way too bitter to eat, thanks to a compound in them called oleuropin. That's why it's necessary to cure them.
Lye-curing is the most common method, says Foote. Olives picked either green or fully mature soak in a lye solution and then a saltwater brine. This draws out the bitterness and triggers fermentation. "You get that briny, lactic acid taste to it as well," says Foote.
Some olives are lightly cured in lye, then washed in water. Left unfermented, "you get the sweetest, most buttery, young, beautiful olive with that process," says Foote.
Dry-curing olives with salt and nothing more is the Moroccan style. Salt draws out the bitterness and the moisture, leaving you with wrinkly fruit that's "super packed with flavor," says Foote.
Then there's what's labeled the "ripe olive." These are young, green olives that are lye-cured, then exposed to oxygen and ferrous gluconate, an iron compound, which produces a black, smooth, mild-tasting olive. Green ripe olives are produced the same way but not oxidized; that's why they stay green.
No question pitted olives are convenient, but what you gain in time not spent removing the pits, you lose in flavor.
Think of it like a whole peach. "The flavors are more intact, you haven't broken the skin, and it's not leaching out juice," says Foote.
What's more, pitted olives soften and take on the flavor of the brine they're sitting in. Or, as our own Matt Duckor sobluntly puts it: "They become a deflated, literal shell of their former selves."
Think about how you plan on cooking or serving them. Martinis for 20? Pitted makes sense. On a cheese board for two? Intact all the way.
There are hundreds of olive varietals. Small, firm Spanish Manzanillas are commonly used to make generically labeled "green olives" and branded California Ripe Olives. Here's a rundown of other popular types and some worth seeking out.
Spain
Arbequina. Small, nutty-flavored, and light purplish-brown in color. These are often used forolive oil.
Gordal or Queen. Big and green and meaty. Commonly sold pitted and stuffed.
Greece
Kalamata. Purple-black and almond-shaped, these salty beauties are a classiccooking oliveand non-negotiable inGreek salad.
Italy
Castelvetrano. Picked young, these stay a sprightly, Granny Smith–apple green and taste buttery and mild.
Cerignola. These can be green or black and have firm flesh that likes to stick to the large pit. Good for stuffing due to their large size.
Gaeta. This petite, earthy black olive is versatile, like a Kalamata.
France
Nicoise. This small, black olive is essential in such Provençal dishes asNiçoise saladandtapenade.
Picholine. Crisp and green, these are good in cocktails or marinated for snacking.
Morocco
Beldi. These salt-cured olives are small, black, and wrinkled like a prune, with a concentrated flavor that Foote says "will knock your socks off."
When buying from the fresh olive bar—generally a good move—look to see that it's well-stocked and clean and that turnover seems high.
The olives should be mostly submerged in brine. "That's your first clue as to whether or not they're being taken care of. This will keep them fresh and moist, and from drying out and oxidizing," Foote says.
It's not a bad idea to spoon some of the brine into the container with your olives. At Whole Foods, Foote says they'll let you take home extra brine in a separate container free of charge. Other stores might, too. Never hurts to ask.
At home, keep olives refrigerated in their brine. If you need more liquid, make your own by boiling water and kosher salt until the salt dissolves. Cool, then pour over your olives.
Jarred olives keep for months, and olives from the fresh bar will be fine for two to three weeks. The quicker you eat them, the better their flavor will be. There's no need in either case to constantly replace the brine. Just make sure there's always brine left.
