Generality
Olives in brine - also called table olives - are preserved foods of plant origin.
The main ingredient of this preparation is the fruit, or rather the drupe, of the tree commonly known as olive or olive, known to botanists as Olea europaea .
Obviously, the edible portion of the olives is only the fleshy outer portion; in fact, the core is not chewable, although it is still possible to extract a slightly refined oil (called " pomace oil ").
What many people do not know is that raw olives are not suitable for consumption; in fact they have a very bitter taste and, to become palatable (in the form of olives in brine), require a certain level of processing.
Nutritional Features
Olives in brine are a very caloric food, with an energy prevalence attributable to lipids, followed by carbohydrates and finally by proteins. The fatty acids that make up the triglycerides are mainly unsaturated, simple carbohydrates (fructose) and peptides essentially with a low biological value.
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The fibrous component of pickled olives is more than relevant, while cholesterol is totally absent. Although some values are not shown in the table, olives in brine should also be rich in phytosterols.
The breakdown of fatty acids foresees, as anticipated, a prevalence of unsaturated ones. To be more precise, the most important group is that of monounsaturated, followed by saturated and finally by polyunsaturated.
As for the mineral aspect, olives in brine boast a fair amount of iron and calcium. Unfortunately, consequently to the preservation method, even the sodium (contained in the cooking salt used for the brine) reaches levels to say the least significant.
With regard to the vitamin profile, a reasonable content of vit. A (retinol equivalents) and, although not mentioned in the table, also that of vit E (tocopherols) should be high.
Olives in brine are a food suitable for most diets, although they should be taken with extreme moderation in the event of overweight (due to the high energy intake) and arterial hypertension (due to the high sodium content); they do not present any contraindication in dyslipidemias (indeed, they help to balance the ratio between fatty acids), in lactose intolerance, in celiac disease and in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The average portion of olives in brine, if used as a substitute for oil seeds (a group with which it is chemically more similar), is about 25-50g (65-135kcal).
Gastronomic Applications
Olives in brine are a food frequently used in Mediterranean cuisine recipes. As anticipated, these are fleshy fruits, but their taste is not as sweet as that typical of the above food category; on the contrary, they are highly sapid and basically acidulous foods.
There are black and green olives in brine (or intermediate shades, like the brown one). The black olives are harvested at advanced maturation, therefore they are characterized by a sweeter taste; on the contrary, green olives are more unripe and use more acidity.
Olives in brine can be used for various gastronomic purposes. They are one of the most consumed products at the aperitif, both as an appetizer and as an ingredient in some cocktails. Furthermore, they are a basic food for accompanying sauces for typically Mediterranean first courses; most of these also involve the use of: preserved anchovies, capers, tomatoes (fresh or dried), oregano, garlic, other vegetables (peppers, aubergines, courgettes, etc.) and chili peppers.
Recipes with Black Olives
Video Recipes with Green Olives
Soft Pizza with Potatoes - Pizza with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeWith the olives in brine, various types of sauces can be made, for example: olive paté, mayonnaise with olives, chopped gardener, etc.
Moreover, olives in brine frequently accompany various types of fish or meat dishes; a classic example is baked fish, in which the olives help to flavor the cooking liquid.
The flavor of the olives in brine, especially the slightly bitter ones, goes perfectly with the wild fennel, with garlic and with the orange zest.
Processing Systems
There are three techniques used to prepare olives in brine: the Sevillian system, the Californian system and the natural one (black olives).
In the first two soda is used to deamarize the fruits (remove the bitter polyphenolic components), while in the third one uses the chemical-physical diffusion of the bittering substances for a more or less long period of time.
The fermentation process of the three systems is quite unequal, as it varies according to the type of microorganism involved; fundamentally, lactic bacteria are implicated in the first two, while yeasts take over in the natural fermentation.
Olives in natural brine are the most consumed in Southern Italy. The system requires the collection of green or black fruits, after which they are selected, calibrated and fermented for a time varying from 6 to 12 months, in a brine with a salt concentration of between 8 and 14%.
