Spain produces Manzanilla, Gordal, Cacereña, Carrasqueña and Hojiblanca olives and each variety can be found stuffed, boned, sliced and pitted to suit many different dishes.
Green olives are obtained from fruits harvested during the ripening period, prior to colouring, once they have reached normal size.Once picked, green olives are first treated to remove their bitter taste and prepare them for lactic fermentation. After washing, they are put into brine to ferment which turns them into edible fruit.
Black olives are produced from fruit which has been darkened with oxidation, before reaching full maturity. Black olives are immediately conserved in brine.
Coloured olives which are rose or brown in colour, are harvested later than green olives but before they reach their full ripeness.
Stuffed olives are any type of olive that have been stuffed with other ingredients such as capsicum, anchovies, lemon, garlic, cheese and even salmon, adding exciting new flavours. In fact, in Spain, there are over 50 types of stuffing! Olives stuffed with capsicum are most popular internationally, while the Spanish prefer the anchovy stuffed olive.
All olives are classified and pitted, sliced, stuffed or simply packed as whole olives.
Olive size
The size of the olive depends on the amount of fruit that the olive tree produces. If the tree bears a lot of olives, its sap must nourish more fruit, and naturally the olives will be smaller. If there are fewer olives on the tree, they will each be nourished with more sap, producing larger olives.
The amount of olives that a tree yields depends on many factors, including the availability and sufficiency of water. Thankfully, technological advances in irrigation systems have helped Spanish farmers get the best from their crops, even in dry, hot temperatures.
Where to buy
Olives from Spain are available at major and independent supermarkets, in delicatessens and specialty food shops Australia-wide. When buying olives from Spain, look out for the olives from Spain logo or a label that is marked ‘Product of Spain’.
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