Latest news with #olives
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Australian supermarket olives taste test: ‘I want to draw a still-life painting of these'
Imagine the best and worst olive. Take a second. Maybe close your eyes to immerse yourself in the exercise. What does the best olive look like? How about the worst? What is the texture of the best olive? How does the worst olive taste? I ask myself questions like this before every taste test, a mental exercise to help calibrate all the scores I'm about to give. But sometimes there are surprises, things so exceptionally good, bad or different they exist beyond the imagination. Things I thought weren't possible in a supermarket product or maybe at all. This taste test was full of them. The taste test was done blind over multiple rounds, each featuring whole olives of a different ripeness – green, purple and black. The tasters – 15 friends – tasted 22 olives (some pitted, some not), scoring each on appearance, texture and taste. I ate about 55 olives in 90 minutes. So, that best and worst olive you imagined: you probably came close with the best. There are sadly no big surprises at that end of the supermarket. But, unless you're wildly imaginative, or you've eaten the exact same olive I have, you're probably way off the mark on imagining the worst. Sandhurst Sicilian Whole Green Olives, 280g, $4 ($1.43 per 100g), available from major supermarkets Score: 7.5/10 Usually when I eat an olive, I feel as though my mouth has just won a fight – satisfying but it's still a bit of a violent experience. These olives are more like rolling down the gentle slope of a flower meadow while wearing head-to-toe cashmere. Other reviewers said they tasted like green tea, artichokes and various white cheeses. Two related it to the Cantonese and Teochew concept of gan, or unsweet sweetness (written 甘), which you'd use to describe tea. 'I want to draw a still-life painting of these and compose a thesis on their depth of flavour,' another wrote. Oddly, the three reviewers who didn't like them all mentioned medicine, carpet or both. Ceres Organics Kalamata Olives, 320g, $10 ($3.13 per 100g), available from Woolworths Score: 7/10 Unlike the green olive round, there were no standout purple olives, which is why this uncontroversial 7/10 olive is one of two winners. As one reviewer wrote: 'Strong, salty but kind of straight shooting – no real funk or gasoline vibes.' That's talking about how they taste, anyway. Texturally, they were all over the place, some firm but some disconcertingly flabby, like eating a partly mushy strawberry. Drop a handful in a pasta and it won't matter much, besides the fact it cost $10 to do so. Macro Organic Whole Kalamata Olives, 350g, $3.30 ($0.94 per 100g), available from Woolworths Score: 7/10 There was a strong correlation between salt and nuance. While the saltiest olives were powerful and sometimes snackier, they sacrificed some character to get there. Macro's olives are a great example. They have almost half the sodium of other products, and reviewers described them as balanced, funky, vegetal and 'unapologetically olivey'. Some thought that was a 9/10 feature, others a 5/10. They're also a beautiful dark shade of purple, like Grimace emerging from a pool in a racy teen romcom, the moonlight glistening on his hair. Deli Originals' Whole Kalamata Olives, 350g, $2.49 ($0.71 per 100g), available at Aldi Score: 6.5/10 Salty, sour and uncomplicated. A classic mid-range kalamata but a bit uglier. What you want to cook with, not serve on a platter for guests worried about your financial security. One reviewer wrote: 'Doesn't have a strong sense of self.' While true, I'm happy for its purpose to be a soldier in the grocery coalition that's fighting for my hope of one day owning a home. Muraca Whole Italian Large Olives, 580g, $8.95 ($1.54 per 100g), available at select grocers Score: 7/10 I recently had a dream where I was an alien living on Earth, masquerading as a human, and the only way I could ever hang out with my friends was at dress-up parties. These olives are always at the dress-up party. While they look like olives, they're unusually enormous, they've got a juicy, meaty texture and a nutty, grassy flavour that I haven't tasted in any other olive. In my dream, it didn't really matter whether I was human or another organism – I found enough people to like me. Same with these olives. As one reviewer said: 'Sticking out into its own territory but I'll follow it there.' Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Always Fresh Olives Pitted Sicilian, 230g, $4 ($1.74 per 100g), available at major supermarkets Score: 6.5/10 Always Fresh sells two kinds of green olives: these weirdly green ones (more like a moss green than any olive you'd find on a tree) and another less green variety that's way bigger and more expensive. Although we gave the huge ones a better score (7/10), I think there's use for both. The bigger ones are for maximalists and hedonists. They're sour, salty and, thanks to the novelty size, fun. The smaller ones are fruity, nuanced and delicate – they have no vinegar and less salt than any other olive we tried. These are for people who prefer baroque covers of pop songs over the real thing. Penfield Olives Australian Pitted Green Olives, 250g, $4.49 ($1.80 per 100g), available at select grocers Score: 6/10 On texture, these were the highest-scoring olives of the day. Many reviewers described them as meaty, firm and almost crunchy. But it's hard to give a nuanced description of their taste due to the 4,750mg of salt in the jar (that's a whopping 1,900mg per 100g). Their kalamatas are similar but a bit fattier. Are they good olives or bad olives? I don't know, depends on your salt tolerance. I'd be careful cooking with them, but if you like your martinis in leather pants with the crotch cut out, this is worth a try. Wicked Pitted Kalamata Olives, 450g, $4 ($0.89 per 100g), available at Coles Score: 6/10 Listening to the other reviewers progressively eat and describe this was akin to reading internet commentary about child rearing: how are there so many radically different opinions about this? One said they tasted like cherry pie filling, another like petrochemicals. I thought they were quite wine-like in flavour, while others said anchovies and menthol. The only similarity is the intensity of all those flavours, which makes sense as they were also the most sodium-dense product of the day (1,990mg per 100g). My favourite comment was: 'Straddling the line between exciting and disturbing.' Like meeting your clone – you won't know if you like it or not until you experience it. Mount Zero Organic Kalamata Olives, 300g, $9.70 ($3.23 per 100g), available at select grocers Score: 5/10 The first thing I wrote on my scorecard was: 'What is this?' I knew it was an olive, a kalamata specifically, but I had no idea how an olive could be bitter and sweet in the way wine is (sort of hinting at sweetness but no actual sugar content) while also kind of nutty and oily. One reviewer said it 'tastes like a failed fine dining dessert', which I thought was apt, because like all great art, fine dining should be divisive. I think many people will love them, but few will feel neutral. Always Fresh Black Olives Pitted, 220g, $3.50 ($1.59 per 100g), available at major supermarkets Score: 5/10 Each score is an average of all the reviewers' scores, but a 5/10 average could be made up of 6/10 and 4/10 scores, or by 1/10 and 10/10 scores, and those are very different things. This was the latter. 'Notes of petrol', 'taste like soggy bread' and 'battery acid', said the dissenters. 'Weirdly ersatz floral', 'pleasant fruitiness' and 'nostalgic blandness, giving Pizza Hut vibes but with a hint of creaminess', said their opposition. I thought it was faintly floral and buttery, like tasting an olive through a cloth. Somehow, I still gave them a 7/10 – but maybe even the most minimal, weird Philip Glass song feels special after listening to 21 tracks of hardcore EDM. Monini L'Oliva Leccino Pitted, 150g, $4.90 ($3.27 per 100g), available at Coles Score: 3/10 I have eaten many terrible things in my life and both Monini's green and black olives are right up there with the worst. Like primary school orchestra dissonance, early AI videos and my grandparents' cooking, they're bad in a creative way, so much so I would have no idea how to recreate the experience. Had I not been in an olive taste test, I could have easily guessed them to be a non-olive entity. One reviewer wrote: 'Conduct a study into the psychology of people who knowingly buy this. Or perhaps give them a Covid test.' Which is exactly what I'd like to do to the two people who gave them a positive score. Green Valley Pitted Kalamata 6.5/10 Coles Whole Green Olives 6.5/10 Always Fresh Pitted Giant Green 7/10 Always Fresh Organic Kalamata Olives Pitted 6/10 Sandhurst Pitted Kalamata Olives 6/10 Penfield Olives Pitted Kalamata Olives 5.5/10 Woolworths Pitted Whole Kalamata Olives 5.5/10 Ceres Organics Green Olives Pitted 5/10 Coles Pitted Kalamata Olives 4.5/10 Monini L'Oliva Bella Di Cerignola Pitted 3.5/10
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
The olives in your kitchen cupboard are FAKE: Expert reveals the unsettling truth about black olives sold in UK supermarkets
Sometimes nothing satisfies a salt craving quite like some olives. But next time you reach for a can at the shops, you might want to look a bit closer at the ingredients list. Sophia Smith Galer, a British TikTok influencer and writer, warns that black olives are not quite what they seem. In her viral video, she explains that black olives are packed with additives to remove their bitterness and change their colour. It means olives marketed as black might not be naturally black at all. 'You're probably buying fake black olives from the supermarket,' she said in the clip, which has more than 119,000 views and 6,000 likes. Typically, in a cheap can of supermarket black olives, all the individual olives 'taste and look very similar', she explains. But that's because they're 'all turned the exact same black colour' with 'one particular ingredient'. It's a little-known fact that green olives are the ones that have been picked before they're fully ripe, whereas black olives have been left to ripen fully. Whether green or black, supermarket olives are often soaked in sodium hydroxide, which softens them and removes their bitterness. Professor Gunter Kuhnle, food scientist at the University of Reading, said sodium hydroxide is 'quite commonly used in food processing'. 'It's used for the processing of many grains such as maize, peeling of foods, but it's not that often on the label,' he told MailOnline. Lactic acid is also added to olives in brine, as it lowers their pH, acting as a natural preservative against the growth of unwanted pathogens. But there's another additive that you'll commonly find on the ingredients list of black olives – ferrous gluconate. Ferrous gluconate, an iron compound used in the olive industry, imparts a uniform jet black colour to the little round fruits. It means that black olives are often actually green ones that have had the black compound added to make them darker, the TikToker explains. 'Its job is to bind to compounds in the olives to oxidise them and turn them all into this uniform black colour,' explained Smith Galer, who is also a former fellow with Brown University's Information Futures Lab. 'Just because they're called black olives, doesn't mean they were naturally black – they weren't, they were green.' Ferrous gluconate (E579) is approved as a food additive by the Food Standards Agency in the UK and the Food and Drug Administration in the US. It is also used as a supplement to combat iron deficiency, but side effects can include nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. 'Proper' black olives without the additive will often be a little bit softer than green ones simply because they were left to ripen before being picked and processed. Although the influencer shows us a can of Waitrose black olives, other British big grocery giants sell black olives containing the additive too. MailOnline found Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco are selling their own brand of black olives containing the 'stabiliser' ferrous gluconate. MailOnline has contacted all four of the supermarkets for comment. MailOnline found ferrous gluconate in supermarket-brand black olives sold by Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda Not all black olives from these supermarkets will contain ferrous gluconate, however. Many black olives of a good enough quality will have been properly left to ripen before picking, packing and shipping. Naturally black olives (those left to ripen) tend to be sweeter and slightly softer, with less bitterness compared to green olives. For example, at the end of the video clip, Smith Galer eats Beldi olives from Morocco, a naturally-wrinkly variety served cured in salt. 'You can if you want buy real black olives in the supermarket,' she adds. 'Those are the real things.' Herby fraud: One in four samples of sage contain the leaves of other plants, study finds Sage is known as one of the most versatile herbs in the kitchen, adding a punch of flavour to sauces, meats and puddings. But when you purchase a jar of sage at the supermarket, you might not be getting your money's worth. More than a quarter of samples of the popular herb contain leaves from other plants, according to a 2020 analysis. Lab tests have shown that just over 25 per cent of analysed sage samples were heavily adulterated with leaves from other trees. One of the 'sage' samples was made up of just 42 per cent sage and an astonishing 58 per cent other leaves, some unknown.
ABC News
13-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Game-changing Australian olive processing promises fruity flavour, lower farm costs
Table olives are among one of the most polarising foods — people either love them or hate them. A world-first processing method crafting an Australian-style table olive is aiming to change that, transforming the fruit's flavour while also reducing labour and water usage. John Fielke, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of South Australia, is behind the innovation set to revolutionise the table olive industry. He is on a mission to change how people think about the complex fruit. Professor Fielke said judges at table olive competitions he entered compared the tasting notes of his table olives to descriptors of what people would find "on a fine bottle of wine". "The flavour comments [for the olives] are notes of passionfruit, citrus, berries," he said. The patented method coined "Olives the Australian Way" has also proven to be more sustainable and efficient, keeping the brine to cure the olives from start to finish. For olives to be edible, the fruit requires processing to remove its natural bitterness. Different curing methods, like lye treatment or natural fermentation in brine, then form part of producing the olives' distinct characteristics and flavour notes. Spanish, Greek and Californian-style olives are the most common produced on a commercial scale, but their processing methods are time- and labour-intensive, known for their high water usage and wastewater disposal requirement. Professor Fielke's processing method relies on chemistry to capture the fruit's bitter compounds in the brine and filtration systems recirculating it. "We are putting our olives in the brine in the orchard. [We] keep that brine clear through to our finished pack-out, and repack our brine with our olives. Industry data shows most table olives sold in Australia are imported, with only 3,000 tonnes produced domestically. Australian Olive Association chief executive Michael Southan sees large economic opportunities in the innovation to shift the country's industry. "It will not only grow the production of locally produced table olives, but it's a technology that will be able to be used around the world. It has huge potential." The table olive processing innovation is a lifeline for farmers like George Kratopoulos, who has been battling low return prices and high labour costs. He now regrets reducing his Taylorville family grove in South Australia from the initial 14,000 trees his father planted in the 1970s to 3,000 trees today. As olives bruise easily, he previously had about 20 workers hand-picking each table olive to be sent to produce markets in Sydney and Brisbane. The new method gives Mr Kratopoulos the opportunity to machine-harvest his crop, making the process more efficient. "It's going to be a lot cheaper, there'll be not much labour costs and it's a win-win on both sides," he said. Harvesting the crop straight into brine also cuts his on-farm food waste. "Once we've shaken the fruit, if there's any damage it stops the deterioration automatically, whereas in fresh markets that bruising will show and we'll have to take it out and there is a lot of wastage," Mr Kratopoulos said. He described the new processing method as a "game-changer" giving him hope for a brighter future in the industry. Supported by an Australian Economic Accelerator Seed grant, the innovation aims to raise the country's table olive production 30-fold to 100,000 tonnes in the next 10 to 15 years. The project has reached semi-commercial scale and proven it has plated up fresh debittered olives to consumers quicker. "That is more than halving the traditional time taken from the farm to the market." He and his wife Sue Fielke processed 82 tonnes of table olives this season, with the aim to triple the intake next year. Despite the opportunities the innovation offers, there are major challenges to scaling up because not enough table olives are grown in Australia, according to Mr Southan. "We really need to see more production of olives, and that's both from a productivity point of view, so getting more olives off each tree, and we need more trees," he said. Investment in further bulk processing facilities was an additional barrier to overcome, Professor Fielke said. "We need larger-scale facilities that can be fully automated, computer-controlled and be reliable." While getting table olives onto plates quicker, the new flavours are also attracting food producers and wholesalers. Mount Zero Olives director Richard Seymour is one of the earlier adopters, who considers himself originally a traditionalist. "I'm really interested in the thousands of years of history of fermentation of table olives, but now I'm certainly tending towards a convert to this method," he said. "I think it's creating some really beautiful flavours." He said he believed the surprising fresh, herbaceous, cut-grass characters akin to extra-virgin olive oil had the potential to put Australia on the world map. Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm AEST on Sunday or stream anytime on ABC iview.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Are olives good for you?
Lauded for their moreish salty taste and unique chewy texture, olives are a staple of the Mediterranean diet and have become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years. They are a stalwart of the summer barbecue, perfect with a crisp white in a pretty bowl beside a charcuterie boards, or simply something easy to devour straight from the jar. Supermarkets and deli shelves are lined with seemingly endless varieties of the unique fatty fruit – from cheese-stuffed to rosemary marinated. As an integral part of the acclaimed Mediterranean diet, we assume that they're just as healthy in their own right. But is it true? Sophie Trotman, a registered nutritionist, says they're a healthy and delicious choice of snack compared to a packet of crisps, however there are still risks we should be aware of. So, what are the health benefits of olives – and which are the best varieties? Nutritional profile of olives Olives are rich in healthy fats, high in sodium, and low in carbohydrates. Their nutritional profile differs depending on how they're cured and stored, and if they are sold with added ingredients such as garlic or sweet peppers. Health benefits of olives 1. Full of heart-healthy fats 'The reason olives are considered so healthy is because of the amount of healthy fats they contain,' explains Dr Federica Amati, the head nutritionist at science and nutrition company Zoe. 'They're fatty fruits, which is quite rare actually.' The majority of fat found in olives is monounsaturated, with around 74 per cent of that being oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid with numerous health benefits. One study in the Nutrients journal found it may reduce inflammation and stress, and support heart health. Another study of 25,000 women on the Mediterranean diet found they had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease which was linked to the diet's beneficial impacts on inflammation, insulin resistance, and blood pressure. 'If you're somebody who is trying to prevent Type 2 diabetes or has impaired blood glucose control, eating olives can actually help with that thanks to these fats,' Dr Amati explains. 2. Beneficial for gut health Olives are rich in polyphenols, Dr Amati says, which are naturally occurring plant compounds, with a range of health benefits. 'They have an antioxidant effect, they can reduce inflammation, and they are great for gut health,' she explains. Our gut microbiome uses polyphenols to create metabolites which play an important role in providing our body with energy and regulating essential functions. 'They are also thought to be really useful for neurological health, so for the brain and nervous system,' Dr Amati explains. As well as polyphenols, olives are a good source of fibre which is crucial for gut health. Fibre feeds the good bacteria in the gut, creating a more diverse and healthy microbiome which helps with immunity, regular bowel movement, and proper digestion. Adequate fibre intake also aids in weight management and lowers the risk of heart disease. Recent research has found it may have cognitive benefits for over-60s, too. 3. Rich in vitamins and minerals Olives (particularly the black variations) are rich in vitamin E – an antioxidant which reduces inflammation and protects the heart. 'It is also good for skin health and immune functioning,' explains Trotman. Vitamin E is fat-soluble, which means it needs fats and oils to absorb into the body when consumed. 'Another reason the healthy fats in olives are great, because it's easier to absorb vitamin E,' Dr Amati says. They also contain a good amount of calcium and copper, both of which are crucial for the health and functioning of the nervous system. Additionally, whilst calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth, copper helps the body to produce energy and support the immune system. The health cons of eating olives Trotman's main sticking point is the high level of salt in olives. 'They're cured in brine which means they can be high in sodium. We know a high-salt diet can increase blood pressure,' she explains. Whilst the NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt for adults per day, and between 1 to 5g a day for children depending on their age, just one handful of olives can contain 0.6g of salt. Trotman recommends washing the brine off to reduce sodium intake. 'There are no real nutrients lost from it, so I'd recommend doing so, particularly if you're concerned about blood pressure,' she says. Some olives can also be calorie-dense, so Trotman recommends being mindful of portion size, particularly if you're trying to lose weight. Whilst Dr Amati believes there are few health risks associated with olives, she advises people with a sensitive gut to consider opting for the green variations. 'Black olives are higher in bioactive compounds [such as polyphenols],' she explains. Dark-coloured bioactive compounds (also found in black beans) can be more irritating for a sensitive gut. Are green or black olives more healthy? Green olives tend to be picked before they're fully ripe, whereas black olives are fully ripe and matured, Dr Amati explains. Their taste, texture, and polyphenol content are slightly different, however it doesn't mean that one is significantly healthier than the other. Black olives tend to be softer, with a smoother and sweeter taste, Dr Amati says, whilst the green variations are fermented for a shorter time so can be tangier, firmer, and more fibrous. As black olives are more mature, they tend to be richer in polyphenols and thus have a slightly stronger anti-inflammatory effect. A 2020 review in the Journal of Nutritional Science found that as an olive matures, the fat content of its flesh increases simultaneously with a decrease in water content which means the black variations also tend to be higher in fat. 'If I was advising a client, I'd say to consume both of them,' Trotman says. 'Although there are some slight differences, don't stick to one, because variety is really good for the gut and overall health.' What about other variations of olives? Trotman lauds the health benefits of olives with added ingredients, such as garlic, cheese or sweet peppers. 'Garlic is an antioxidant and a prebiotic food which is great for our gut health,' she says, whilst added herbs, such as oregano, further increase the nutritional profile of olives. Even those stuffed with cheese can be beneficial. 'These cheeses tend to be quite hard, so high in calcium,' Trotman explains. She says that whilst most variations of olives are healthy, those stored in highly processed oils, such as rapeseed, may be less beneficial. 'I'd try to opt for those in olive oil,' she concludes. Olives vs olive oils The key difference between olives and olive oil is their fibre content, Trotman says. Whilst olives are rich in fibre, most of it is removed in the making of oil. In fact, there is 0g of dietary fibre in many bottles of supermarket olive oil, whilst 100g of olives may contain up to 4g. Olives also contain less fat and calories per gram, whilst olive oil is higher in antioxidants due to the fact it's compressed. Whilst olives tend to contain lots of sodium, olive oil is virtually sodium free, Trotman explains, as it does not go through the brine curing process. A review in Nutrients found the health benefits of olive oil to be wide-ranging. It is associated with reduced blood pressure, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and weight loss when consumed in a diet as the only culinary fat. The expert verdict: Are olives healthy? 'Honestly, I can't think of any reasons not to eat olives – unless you don't like them,' Dr Amati says. They're rich in heart-healthy fats, gut-healthy antioxidants, and crucial vitamins and minerals. She suggests adding them to a salad to boost its flavour profile and provide healthy fats which helps the body to absorb crucial fat-soluble vitamins. 'It's good to have fats in your salad. Adding olives is a tasty way of doing that,' she concludes. FAQs: Are olives safe for everyone? Olives are generally safe for most people, Dr Amati says. However, she adds that those with a sodium sensitivity or blood pressure issues should be more mindful of their olive consumption. Those on a low-salt diet could consider opting for black olives rather than green, she suggests, as they tend to be lower in sodium due to the longer ripening period and different brining process. How many olives should you eat a day? Olives should be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy and varied diet, Dr Amati says. 'They tend to form a fairly small part of people's diet which means I'm not really too concerned about their sodium levels and caloric content.' She advises people not to stress about the number but just to be mindful of their salt and added sugar intake. 'Buy the ones you like, add them to a salad or cook your fish with them, and continue to enjoy them as part of a balanced diet,' she concludes. Are olives good for your skin? 'Yes, they really are,' Trotman says. Olives are rich in vitamin E – a common ingredient in skincare products which can reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage, she explains. 'I'm always recommending people to have more vitamin E.' They also contain healthy fats which are good for the skin, Trotman says. 'They improve skin elasticity, regulate the skin barrier, and help to keep it supple.'
