The olive is a small fruit that grows on the olive tree, forming in place of the flower after it blooms. The olive tree produces a drupe, or stone fruit, which is a fleshy fruit with a central stone that contains the seed. Like coffee, olives require processing before they become palatable. They can either be processed into oil or made into an edible olive, and the best use for an olive—whether for oil or eating—depends on its cultivar, though many are delicious in both forms.
Both olives and olive oil are most often associated with savoury dishes, which leads many to assume that olives are vegetables. However, the fruity qualities of extra virgin olive oil make it a versatile ingredient that can be used in cakes and drizzled over gelato.
Can you eat olives off the tree?
Tempting as it may be, we can’t eat olives straight from the tree. The plump and juicy fruits need to be prepared carefully to become edible. If you were to eat an olive straight from the tree, rather than tasting like the delicious, meaty, and buttery fruit we all know and love, it would be incredibly bitter and inedible. A bitter compound called oleuropein is responsible for making the olive fruit unpalatable. However, skilled olive farmers will take a bite of an olive straight from the tree to gauge the oil content and see whether the tree is ready for harvesting.
Given the dreadful taste of raw olives, it’s surprising that early humans didn’t avoid olive trees altogether after their first unpleasant bite.
The process of curing the olives in salt and water over a period removes the bitterness from the olive by extracting the naturally occurring polyphenols and tannins. Famously innovative, it is thought that the Romans were the first to put the whole olive fruit on the table, using lye in the curing process.
Is it okay to eat olives every day?
Although cured olives are undoubtedly delicious, they are incredibly high in sodium. In terms of health benefits, edible olives and extra virgin olive oil are not comparable, in the same way that a bar of milk chocolate is not comparable to a cacao nib. Despite being a fruit, olives unfortunately do not count towards one of your five a day due to their salt content. However, being a fermented food, olives are full of beneficial bacteria which may improve the health of your gut microbiome and overall gut health. Olives are low in carbohydrates and, like extra virgin olive oil, are rich in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, which are beneficial to heart health. That being said, it is important to be aware that consuming excess salt may raise your blood pressure and contribute towards circulatory diseases. Inspired by the Mediterranean diet, moderation and balance are always key when trying to maintain a healthy diet.
Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is safe to be consumed every day. With its high levels of antioxidants and abundance of monounsaturated fats, it’s a delicious and healthy oil that can be used to enhance any meal.