Energetics of Olives: Extending the Branch
Olives are thought to be one of the world’s oldest foods. It is believed that they originated in Crete between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. Since then the olive and the tree it grows on have been a source of food, fuel, timber, and medicine.
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Varieties
Olives cannot be eaten directly off the tree, as they contain high levels of oleuropein (a chemical that has a very bitter flavor), so they are cured before ingesting. The color and taste of the olives are based on the ripeness when picked (black olives are ripe and green olives are unripe) and how they are processed, which includes fermentation, and/or curing in oil, brine, or salt. Olives can come whole with seeds, pitted, or stuffed with ingredients.
Olives and olive oil are available throughout the year.
Curing Methods Using Ripe Olives
Greek Method: Fully ripened, dark purple or black olives are gradually fermented in salt brine. They are sweeter and richer, with a more complex taste than other varieties. In Greece the fermentation process takes around 8 to 10 months, due to lye solutions (caustic soda solutions which speed up fermentation) being illegal to use. Kalamata olives are cured using red wine vinegar or just red wine to give them their distinctive taste.
Dry Cured: Fully ripe black olives are rubbed with coarse salt and left to cure for months, resulting in a wrinkled appearance. The salt is removed prior to being sold.
Sun Cured: Fully ripe black olives are left on the tree to dry.
Oil Cured: Fully ripe black olives are soaked in oil for a few months.
Curing Methods Using Unripe Olives
Spanish Method: Unripe, light green olives are soaked in a fast acting lye solution for 6 to 16 hours. Olives cured this way have a crisp texture and nutty flavor.
American Method: Half-ripe, yellow-red colored olives are soaked in an alkaline lye solution without fermentation. A flow of air bubbled through the solution is used to oxidize the olives and give them their classic black color. Cold water rinses are used after curing to remove as much lye solution as possible. Iron is also added to preserve the black color. Some types of American Olives are Sevillano and Queens, which are grown in California. Mission Olives are dry-cured.
Canned Olives
Canned Black Olives are made from unripe olives, which are picked green, and then go through the American curing method. Canned olives are soft in texture and have a flat flavor.
How to Choose and Store
While olives have traditionally been sold in jars and cans, you can now find them in bulk at many local markets. When buying in bulk make sure the store has a good turnover and keeps their olives immersed in a brine or oil, this keeps them fresh and moist.
To store your olives, you should keep them in an airtight bag or container in the fridge. Make sure to store the olives in a liquid, such as a the brine or oil they came in, so they do not dry out. If you need to add liquid, use a good olive oil.
Nutrition
Olives, the staple of the disease-preventive Mediterranean diet, are a concentrated source of monosaturated fats, most notable oleic acid. Monosaturated fats are important component of the cell membrane and have a protective effect on cells. Thus lower the risk of cellular damage and inflammation. Olives are a great a source of vitamin E, the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant, and protects the cell from damage caused by free-radicals. The phytonutrients olueropein and hydroxytryosol also have potent antioxidant activity that protects cells. The antioxidants found in olives also have been shown to help protect LDL molecules from oxidation (this oxidation process is the first step in the development of atherosclerosis). Olive are also a great source of iron, copper and fiber.
Energetics
Olives are both sweet and sour. They are great for transitioning into colder months, as they help organize open and scattered patterns of the warmer seasons. They are used as a general remedy for all types of diarrhea. Can be used for coughing up blood (under the supervision of your practitioner).
Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers
Ingredients
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 ounces feta cheese, cut into 24 (1/2-inch) cubes
24 mint leaves
1/4 large English cucumber, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
12 pitted green olives, halved
24 6in wooden skewer
Directions
In a medium bowl combine the fennel seeds, orange zest, orange juice, and pepper. Gently stir in the feta and marinate for 1 hour or more.
To make the skewers, place a mint leaf about 3/4-inch up the skewer, then add an olive half, then a chunk of cucumber. Gently place a cube of the marinated feta on the end.
Sources
Mateljan, George. The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating. George Mateljan Foundation: Seattle, 2007. Print.
Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition. North Atlantic Books: Berkeley, 1993. Print.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/marinated-feta-and-olive-skewers-recipe-1948006