Olives 101

 

We're all familiar with the many benefits of olive oil. But olive oil comes from olives, so what about them?

It turns out that olives are even more nutritionally packed than their oil (probably not too surprising). Olives are high in vitamin E and all the same healthy fats contained in olive oil, which makes them relatively high in calories. They are low in carbohydrates but high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated (good) fat linked to heart health and higher HDL (good) cholesterol, and they are a good source of iron, copper and calcium. Olives also contain phenols, which are powerful antioxidants. They are, however, a relatively poor source of dietary fiber.

The primary phenol in olives, Oleuropein, is extremely bitter tasting. So most olives are cured to reduce the bitterness. The one dietary downside is that olives tend to be very high in sodium, though this is due more the the methods by which they are cured than to the olives themselves.

Most canned black (or ripe) olives are cured in a mild lye solution. This removes more of the bitter flavor than other methods and so black olives typically have the mildest flavor.

Klamata, Spanish and Sicilian olives are usually cured in brine, similar to the way pickles and sauerkraut are made.

Finally, many kinds of Greek olives are dry cured in salt. This removes the least amount of phenols and produces the most intense flavor.

Olives make wonderful hors d'oeuvres, of course, and add a lot of zing to salads and recipes. And what would a martini be without one or two. Go ahead and enjoy them and the nutrition benefits they have to offer. Just remember they are calorie dense and high in sodium so be mindful of portions.