Black olives

[verbena]

I've read somewhere that black olives are always cooked. they start out as green olives and turn black when they are cooked. is this true??

I've been eating black olives in brine, thinking they are just ripe olives (i thought green were unripe), thinking they would be raw, but now i'm not sure.

Also has anyone come across a good place to buy raw olives in the UK?

[modernmonkey]

I always thought green olives change colour like bell peppers do. Green to yellow to purple to black. You can even spot ones that are in the middle of changing when picked. But I could be wrong.

[verbena]

I have done a bit more research, and olives do turn black when they are fully ripe. though in some canning methods chemicals are added to turn green oilves black (unecessary much??)

I had no idea that olives can't be eaten straight off the tree, they have to be process in some way to take away the bitterness.

Knowledge is my friend :D

[modernmonkey]

I had no idea that olives can't be eaten straight off the tree, they have to be process in some way to take away the bitterness.


Hmmm... they don't really deserve being in a raw food diet do they? I wonder what the first peoples did to make them edible?

[verbena]

Processing can be as natural as sun drying, so i think thats ok. The only thing in regards to rawness is that it's not known what temperature the olives will reach during sun drying.
Another way to take out the bitterness is using a brining method, which as I understand it, is a cold process, so would make the olives raw.

[Tenuviel]

I've had green olives that tasted the same as black olives. all the black olives I've seen have ferrous sulfate (iron) added to them, which turns them black... (oxidation)

[drolemil]

Just found this video yesterday on how to make your own raw olives (very easily!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwycH-nQWcA
:encore:

[RawHorizons]

:drool:Olives !!
Oooo Thanks Drolemil for the great video find.Gots me a new subscription on youtube !!