Seems raw but may not be...

[elfinbaby]

I'm newly raw and haven't been able to get my hands on a book that shares useful specifics on what may look raw but not be. KWIM?

Things like olives at the olive bar or in a jar, different vinegars besides apple cider. Can anyone share some insight on items that may seem raw but aren't? I guess I'm just wondering because I saw raw olives on some sites and figured they wouldn't be there if the olives in the stores were raw. Or the dressing recipes would use different types of vinegars if the others were raw.

And extracts! Are those considered raw? Ground and dried spices?

Thanks,
April

[Sharon in Colorado]

If it is not fresh, like something that you would eat directly from a plant that hasn't been dried or processed in some way it is going to be questionable.

That is when you have to look into the process of what it might have gone through before it got to you.

[Pierre]

I once was at a church lunch where I had brought a salad made with raw Greek olives. Someone else brought tomatoes with chilis, onions, and olives (the sliced ring kind) to stuff tortillas with. I ate some of the olives (and the other stuff too) and some Greek olives. The sliced rings tasted like air compared to the Greek.

As to vinegar, if it has mother, it's probably raw. If you add mother to wine and it becomes vinegar, it's definitely raw.

[sport]

Most (perhaps all) olives at the olive bar are not vegan. I was told this by the guy behind the counter at Wild Oats.