Transcript An Ode to Olives - Oklahoma State University–Stillwater

An Ode to Olives
Jessica Nickels, MS, RD/LD
February 2008
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service
1
History
 Not known exactly when the wild olive became a
domesticated crop.
 A leaf from an olive tree is mentioned in chapter 8 of
Genesis when Noah finds one in the dove's beak.
 In Greek Mythology, as depicted in the Iliad, olive oil
is known only as a luxury of the wealthy--an exotic
product, prized chiefly for its value in grooming
 Warriors anointed themselves after bathing.
 All tradition points to the limestone hills of Attica as the
seat of its first cultivation on the Hellenic peninsula.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
2
History cont’d
 A pleasing substitute for butter and animal fats consumed by
people to the north
 Became emblem not only of peace but of national wealth and
domestic plenty; wild olive spray of the Olympic victor, olive crown
of the Roman conqueror at ovation
 Among the Greeks the oil was valued as an important article of
diet, as well as for its external use.
 Roman people employed it widely in food and cookery--the
wealthy as an indispensable adjunct to grooming; and in the
luxurious days of the later empire it was said that long and
pleasant life depended on two fluids: wine within and oil without.
 The oil of the bitter wild olive was employed by Roman physicians
in medicine, but does not appear ever to have had a culinary use.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
3
Olive Tree
 An evergreen tree or shrub native to the Mediterranean, Asia, and
parts of Africa. It is short and squat (rarely exceeds 8–15 meters in
height).
 Silvery green leaves are oblong, measure 4–10 cm long and 1–3
cm wide.
 Trunk is typically gnarled and twisted.
 Small white flowers, with four-cleft calyx and corolla, two stamens
and bifid stigma, are borne generally on the last year's wood, in
racemes springing from the axils of the leaves.
 Fruit is a small drupe 1–2.5 cm long, thinner-fleshed and smaller
in wild plants than in orchard cultivars.
 Olives are harvested at green stage or left to ripen to a rich purple
color (black olive). Canned black olives may contain chemicals
that turn them black artificially.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
4
Production
Country/
Region
Rank
2011
Production (in
tons)
-
World
17,317,089
1
Spain
6,160,100
2
Italy
3,149,830
3
Greece
2,400,000
4
Turkey
1,800,000
5
Syria
998,988
6
Tunisia
500,000
7
Morocco
470,000
8
Egypt
318,339
9
Algeria
300,000
10
Portugal
280,000
11
Lebanon
180,000
 Olive is the most
extensively cultivated
fruit crop in the world.
 The Mediterranean
region represents 95%
of the world production
of olives.
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service
5
Cultivation
 Key characteristic of Mediterranean mixed
farming
 Played large part in economic development of
ancient Greece because of suitability of olive
oil as an export crop
 Attica, the region of Athens, was a grain importer
and olive oil exporter from early historic times.
 Athenian pottery industry was stimulated largely by
demand for containers in which to export olive oil.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
6
Today
 The olive has been spread widely around the
world
 The Mediterranean lands remain the main
source of the oil
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
7
Types of olives
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
8
Types of olives, cont’d
 Kalamata – beautiful and dark, its intense
flavor stands up to lamb and swordfish,
completes a Greek salad, complements a
mellow Merlot.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
9
Types of olives, cont’d
 Picholine – Creamy, nutty, and perfectly
chewy, this is the ideal choice for savory
snacks and antipasto platters. Serve with crisp
dry white wine.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
10
Types of olives, cont’d
 Nicoise – Nutty, fragrant, and firm add this
classic olive flavor to fish.
 Spanish –Firm and juicy, this versatile classic
is equally at home in deviled eggs or martinis.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
11
Types of olives, cont’d
 Black Ripe – The American classic. This
plump, mild favorite is perfect on salads, pizza,
even fingertips, and is best enjoyed with beer.
 Dry Greek – Mixed with brandy, this is an
excellent cooking olive that adds complexity to
pastas, roast veal, and tomato sauces.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
12
Types of olives, cont’d
 Green Ripe – Similar, but slightly more salty
than the Black Ripe. Absorbs the flavors of the
other food while adding color and an earthy,
natural touch to a variety of dishes from baked
whitefish to tuna salad.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
13
Types of olives, cont’d
 Gaeta – Meaty oily,
and intense, this
Italian olive is well
suited to slow
cooked stews,
braised dishes, and
hearty Zinfandels.
2011
 Cerignola – Large,
fruity, and buttery,
this is a great olive to
marinate and serve
with a variety of
appetizers.
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service
14
Types of olives, cont’d
 Sicilian – Crisp, crunchy, and great right out of
the jar, combined with swordfish or braised
pork.
 Amphissa – Tender, earthy, and slightly tart,
use this olive in tapenade spreads or meat
stews and red sauces.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
15
The Curing Process
 Olives are either lye cured, lye cured with
fermentation, naturally cured or dry cured.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
16
Lye Curing
 Method used for Black Ripe & Green Ripe olives.
 Begins with hand- picked, unripe green olives that are
cured in a series of lye and oxygenated water baths for
7 days or until the solution penetrates to the pits and
removes bitterness
 A final rinse follows and, in the case of Black Ripe
olives, iron is added to stabilize color.
 Carbon dioxide is introduced to neutralize the lye, after
which the olives are sized, pitted, canned, and topped
with brine.
 Once sealed, they’re cooked with steam. Most similar
to home-cured olives, the Green Ripe variety is packed
without the introduction of oxygen or iron.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
17
Dry Curing
 Starts with ripe, soft olives and results in salty, chewy
varieties, such as the Dried Greek olive.
 Before curing, olives are gently “smashed” to allow
moisture to permeate their skins.
 Then fruit is layered and covered with salt for 4 weeks.
 After curing, olives are immersed in hot water to
remove salt, rinsed in cold water, and spread to dry.
 Olives are then coated with olive oil before being
packed and sterilized.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
18
Lye Curing with
Fermentation
 Used for Spanish olives, also start as handpicked, unripe green olives.
 First submerged in a lye bath for a few hours to
remove bitterness.
 Fruit is then rinsed and soaked in a strong salt
brine for 3 months, causing fermentation.
 Olives then bottled in salt brine, capped and
pasteurized.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
19
Natural Curing Processes
 Processes favored for olive bar varieties.
 One approach is to soak olives in water that is changed
daily, after which olives are cured in salt brine for
several months.
 Another Natural Curing process used for Sicilian olives
involves soaking olives in salt and lactic acid for 1 year.
 The same process, minus the lactic acid, is used to
cure Kalamata, Amphissa, Niçoise, Picholine,
Cerignola and Gaeta olives.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
20
Taste Profiles
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
21
Olive Oil
 Great variety of flavors makes it excellent for use on
salads, pasta, beans and bread.
 Has a relatively high smoking point which means you can
brown foods without great danger of burning. (Not suitable
for deep frying.)
 When olive oil becomes very cold the oleic acid tends to
coagulate, seen as whitish globules.
 Return to room temperature to liquefy. Store fine extra
virgin oils in a cool dark place.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
22
Types of Olive Oil
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)- top grade, low acidity,
comes from first pressing of choicest, handpicked olives.
 Mechanically pressed, requiring no heat or chemicals.
 Has natural antioxidants which delay rancidity.
 Flavor, color & consistency vary due to olive variety,
location and weather.

2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
23
Virgin Olive Oil
 Slightly more acidity, pressed from olives that are not
necessarily top grade
 May be from second or third pressing of pulp, also
mechanically pressed.
 This and extra virgin are the only truly "cold
pressed" oils.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
24
"Pure" Olive Oil
 Also called commercial grade.
 Extracted from pulp and pits left after second pressing
of lower quality olives.
 Heat, high pressure and solvents are used.
 Sometimes a small amount of better quality olive oil is
blended in.
 "Pure" refers indicates no non-olive oils are mixed in.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
25
Olive Oil Health Benefits
 Research has shown the incidence of heart disease is
dramatically lower in Mediterranean countries where
olive oil is a dietary staple
 Science has now determined that olive oil, as a
monounsaturated fat, increases HDL or good blood
cholesterol.
 Important to remember that olive oil is still a fat and
should be consumed in limited quantities, in proper
ratio to your balanced diet.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
26
Which is better for your health:
extra virgin, virgin, or plain olive
oil??
 Answer:
 The difference between the olive oils listed is their
acidity level, which affects mostly taste, not
nutritional content.
 Lower acidity oils, such as extra virgin, tend to
have more antioxidants, but that is not reflected in
their classification.
 Antioxidants may reduce risk heart disease and
cancer.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
27
How is olive oil made?
1.
Clean the olives- Stems, twigs, leaves removed and
olives may or may not be cleaned with water
2. Grind olives into a paste
3. Mixing or Malaxation for 20 to 40 minutes allows small
oil droplets to combine into bigger ones which can be
removed in the next step. It is an absolutely necessary
step.
 Paste often heated to 28oC during this process.
 Longer mixing times increase oil yield and help oil
pick up minor components which can improve flavor
but longer mixing allows oxidation which decreases
shelf life.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
28
How is olive oil made?
4. Separating oil and water from the olive
paste (pomace)
 Paste is pressed.
 Materials added to increase yield, they
extract additional oil from pomace:
 Types enzymes:
talc
steam
hexane, other solvents
alkali
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
29
How is olive oil made?
5. Separating oil from water
2 methods:
Centrifugal Olive Oil Separator- Like a cream
separator in a dairy, the liquid is spun which separates
the heavier water from the oil.
Purifier: takes a little water from mostly oil
Skimmer: takes a little oil from a lot of water (if you
want to scavenge the wastewater)
Clarifier: takes a little solid from a liquid phase
(removes particles from oil before final filtering)
Gravity Olive Oil Decanter- The oil and water is put
into tanks where they separate by gravity
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
30
How is olive oil made?
6. Processing the olive oil
Refining- reduces acidity and improve flavor
Bleaching- reduces chlorophyll, carotenoids,
residual fatty acid salts and pesticides
Deodorization- reduces odor
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
31
How many olives does it
take?
 Trees yield 10—500 lbs of olives depending on how big
the tree, how old, variety, whether it is watered,
whether it is an "off" or "on" year, weather, etc.
 5 gallon bucket will hold about 30 lbs of olives.
 Most common types of olives in California, the
Manzanillo and Mission, contain anywhere from 15—
30% oil by volume.
 1 ton of olives yields 35—50 gallons of oil at a mill.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
32
How many olives do I need to
eat to equal 1 tablespoon of oil?
 Depends on size and oil content of the olives
 The large black canned olives are actually quite low
in oil - sometimes only 7%, which is why they are
table olives and are not used generally to make oil.
 Some smaller olives used primarily for oil making
can have up to 35% oil content. Olives can range
from 1—14 grams in weight.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
33
There is about 1
tablespoon olive oil in:
 20 medium Mission olives that have an oil content
of 20%
 40 small ripe black olives
 20 jumbo ripe black olives
 7 super colossal ripe black olive
 There are fewer calories in 1 tablespoon oil than
any of the above because olives also have
carbohydrates which add additional calories.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
34
Guidelines for tasting oils
 Can be done 2 ways: with oil spread on unsalted
white bread, or sipped from tasting glasses. Either
way, taste milder smelling oils first.
 When using tasting glasses, take a small sip of
approximately 2 to 3 ml.
 Distribute the oil throughout the whole mouth
cavity, because the perception of the four primary
tastes (sweet, salty, acid and bitter) varies in
intensity depending on the area of the tongue,
palate and throat.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
35
Guidelines for tasting,
continued
 With lips semi-closed, inhale rapidly 2 or 3 times in
succession to atomize the oil in your mouth. The
air, mixed with the oil, sprays onto your tongue and
palate.
 Memorize the flavors, then spit the oil out.
 If necessary, repeat the tasting, but only after
you’ve rinsed your mouth with clean water.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
36
Guidelines for tasting,
continued
 It may help to chew a slice of apple between
samples.
 The stronger the oil flavor, the longer you need to
wait before the next tasting.
 A well-made reasonably fresh oil should exhibit
firstly a definite olive-fruity note, followed by
pungent, green and bitter.
 No negative attributes or defects should be
present.
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
37
References
 Wikipedia
 Lindsay Olive Company http://www.lindsayolives.com/olives101/index.h
tml
 California Olive Oil Association
2011
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
38