There is such an amazing long-lived tree that can last up to 2000 years. This is a revered from ancient times and personifies the symbol of maturity, wisdom and nobility, a beautiful powerful olive plant. It belongs to the olive family.
The ancient Greeks from the branches of olive weaved the very wreaths that were planted on the shoulders of the winners of the first Olympic Games.
Today, a cultivated tree species is grown in many countries: North and South America, North-West Africa, Australia, East Asia, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean.
This article will provide a description of this amazing centenarian, talk about its varieties and how olives are useful.
But first, let’s decide what the difference is between olives and olives.
Olives and olives
Oddly enough, but those and other fruits grow on the same tree. There is simply the term “olives”, used only in Ukraine and in Russia. In other countries, they are called only olives.
For Russians, green fruits are olives, and black fruits are olives. The former are mostly used in conservation, and the latter (real black olives) - in the production of well-known oil. That’s the whole difference. About what real black olives can be found below.
Olives: photo, description
The color of these fruits depends only on their maturity. Greens, as a rule, are not quite mature (they are harder) and such fruits contain less oil. Ripe fruits have a dark purple color and a slightly wrinkled appearance.
In Russian stores, canned black olives, as a rule, were also collected in green. Using certain chemical procedures, they are turned into dark-colored fruits.
The real ripe olives (photo below) acquire a dark purple color in the natural way (in nature), without adding any dyes, and they cost much more than painted analogues. It turns out that either green olives, or dark, but expensive, bring the greatest benefit.
Varieties and groups of olives
Varieties differ in their application. There are only 3 groups:
- Oilseeds used in the production of olive oil.
- Combined (or universal) used in the preservation and manufacture of oil.
- Canteen (canned), intended for consumption in canned food, and in general.
Greek olives
The most world famous olives are Greek. Collect them in Greece (Kalamata).
In shape they are almond-shaped, brownish-black in color with a tight skin.
In general, in this country there are about 10 types of table olives associated with their place of origin. Many varieties here are also harvested in unripe green form. A variety of kalamata is harvested a little later, at the moment of the beginning of the color change, but there are those that remain on the tree until they are fully ripe, before the peel begins to wrinkle on them.
Large round brown and shriveled black olives, growing on Halkidiki and Thassos, respectively, are salted.
Green olives are often seasoned with lemon, wild fennel, garlic, hot pepper seeds, etc.
More noble olives (kalamata variety) and other dark species are stored in olive oil and in vinegar.
Harvesting
Green olives are removed from the trees manually and placed in special baskets. The crumbling ripe berries gather in small nets under each olive tree.
After harvesting, all fruits are sorted by size and placed in large containers with a prepared solution of caustic soda, necessary to eliminate the bitterness characteristic of olives.
In order to give a black color to some olives, a certain chemical treatment is performed. To do this, the berries are poured into containers and oxygen is supplied to them, which causes oxidation of the fruits. This whole process lasts about 7-10 days. Blackened olives acquire a soft texture and a specific flavor.
When processing green olives, they do not undergo such an oxidation procedure. They are simply placed in brine seasoned with various spices and seasonings. Subsequently, the product is stored in special plastic barrels (capacity 10 tons), placed underground.
Composition of olives, nutritional value
Below we find out what olives are useful for, and now consider the composition of the fruits of this plant. In addition to the fact that these fruits are quite tasty, they are also very nutritious. Due to the fibrous structure, olives are easily absorbed by the body.
They contain B vitamins (niacin, thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid), folic acid, vitamin K, E, choline (vitamin B4). The following trace elements are present in large quantities in them: potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, selenium, iron and oleic acid.
The nutritional value of these fruits is undoubtedly great. Ripe olives have more oil than greens. For example, 30 g of the former contains approximately 30 calories, 2 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of fat, 1 g of dietary fiber, and 0.3 g of protein.
The benefits of olives
What are olives useful for? According to the legends of the Mediterranean peoples, the olive never dies, and people who use its fruits become viable and hardy. Berries help prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, stomach and liver ulcers. And olive bones are edible, since they are fully and well absorbed in the digestive tract.
The pectins that make up the berries help remove toxins and toxins from the body, as well as salts of various heavy metals. These fruits improve the microflora of the entire intestine. Such berries are vital, especially to people living in places with poor ecology.
The use of several olives per day helps to calm the nervous system, vitality, improve mood and condition of hair and skin.
What else are olives useful for? Recent studies have proven that olives can prevent the development of cancer.
Statistics show that residents of the Mediterranean countries are less likely to get breast cancer, all thanks to oleic acid, which is the main component of olives and olive oil.
Oil from these fruits is absorbed better than others, and therefore it is very popular in many diets.
Olive fruits, as noted above, perfectly neutralize toxins, and therefore often add them to various alcoholic cocktails.
In conclusion, a little about the harm
Olives can also cause certain health hazards for certain health problems. For example, with cholecystitis (a strong choleretic effect on the body).
Olives also have a mild laxative property, due to the high content of oil in them, which is contraindicated for diarrhea.