Green olives are unripe, black ones always ripe? Basically, this statement is correct, because ripe olives are always dark, often aubergine-colored to black-blue. Green olives, on the other hand, are always harvested unripe. But be careful: Especially black olives from the tin are usually colored - this saves production costs and drives up prices.

Black olives contain more unsaturated fatty acids

Green and black olives are not different varieties, but different degrees of ripeness. The riper an olive is, the darker and softer it becomes - and the milder and more aromatic its taste. Green olives, on the other hand, taste rather tart, and their flesh is firmer and juicier. But green and black olives not only differ in appearance and taste, but also in their nutritional value. Ripe olives contain a lot more oil than unripe ones, which makes them more valuable for a healthy diet on the one hand, but also makes them higher in calories. For comparison, 100 grams of green olives contain an average of around 140 kilocalories, while the same amount of black olives averages around 350 kilocalories.

Why producers dye olives black

Many consumers appreciate the milder taste and the higher health value of black olives and therefore prefer to buy them. However, harvesting ripe olives is not easy, and the farmer must not miss the right harvest time. While green olives - which are very firm - can be easily shaken from the tree, the soft black ones have to be painstakingly hand-picked. That costs time and therefore money. For this reason, many olive producers simply dye green fruits black to meet demand. According to the applicable laws, dyeing is legal and does not have to be specially marked.

Colored olives not harmful to health

Green olives are colored black with ferrous gluconate or ferrous lactate. These iron salts are obtained from conventional lactic acid and are not considered hazardous to health. However, colored green olives do not taste like sun-ripened black olives, but simply what they are: green olives. Ergo, colored olives are tart and firmer in taste than the ripe harvested oil fruits.

How to distinguish colored olives from ripe ones

  • It is worth taking a look at the list of ingredients for packaged goods: E 579 and E 585 are the identification numbers for the coloring iron salts
  • colored olives show a uniformly dark colour, which is not the case with ripe olives
  • ripe olives are colored very differently dark
  • ripe olives have a dark core, colored ones a light one
  • ripe olives taste more aromatic and are softer than green ones

tips and tricks

If you want to grow an olive tree yourself, simply bring a fresh (i.e. not pickled or otherwise preserved!) fully ripe black olive with you from your next trip to the Mediterranean. However, seeds are also available in specialist shops.

Category:

Trees