Largest number of olive trees. European olive

Olives are a product that leaves no one indifferent. Having tried it, people are divided into two camps - fans of these black or green berries or those who can’t stand them. But, growing up, many move from the second group to the first.

Olives have long been considered a delicacy on Russian tables. To be honest, I don’t remember exactly when they first appeared in our house, but I still assume that it was already post-Soviet times.

A picture clearly emerges in my memory of how my mother puts a crystal vase with small black shiny berries closer to her, from time to time she takes one and chews it with obvious pleasure. The pleasure was simply painted on her face!

Naturally, she inspired me, a teenage girl, to try this unprecedented overseas delicacy. I didn’t even ask my mom if it was delicious. Of course it’s delicious, since she chews these black fruits with such joy!

Without much thought on this topic, I grab the olive and pop it into my mouth. One second... And I spit it out. Needless to say, at that moment the degree of my boundless trust in my mother decreased slightly? I remember so well how disgusted I felt - as if oil had been poured into my mouth. And also something strange, rancid or something...

I am sure that almost everyone who tried olives in childhood experienced approximately the same gastronomic shock and for a long time avoided crystal vases with black shiny berries on the tenth route.

And then, when the childhood trauma was a little forgotten, overgrown with positive life experience, consciousness expanded, priorities changed, there was a second attempt to try olives, and in most cases it turned out to be very successful.

Those who previously hated these unusual buttery fruits with all their souls, or rather, with all their taste buds, suddenly became its fans and themselves bought cans for all holidays with images of oblong black or green berries.

There is even a popular joke on the Internet about this topic. Of course, I don’t remember how it sounds verbatim, but its meaning is as follows: when you like olives, childhood is over! 😆

So it was with me. And my mother now has a serious competitor at the festive table. She could no longer move the vase with olives closer to her, and therefore we tried to sit next to each other so that we could take turns pulling them into our mouths and enjoying the unusual taste.

And then the vase disappeared from our lives. It was replaced by a boat specially purchased by mom for these fruits, which was sold complete with metal forked skewers. This was my mother’s declaration of love for olives!

And today it’s my turn to talk, or rather, write, about my passionate feelings for this exotic product. And I’ll start, perhaps, by explaining why it has two names.

Olives are good for alkalizing your body, as they have a highly acidic pH of 3.6 - 3.6.

I must admit, for a long time I was confused about what color berries should be called olives and which ones should be called black olives. And at some point I simply decided to clarify this issue for myself once and for all.

It turns out that the fruits that I loved so much are actually olives. And olives are, as they say, a purely Russian project! Well, they really are oily. 😉 That is, we ourselves came up with such a word to denote the degree of ripeness of olives, and all over the world, green and black berries growing on olives are called “olives,” respectively.

It turns out that in Russian olives and olives are the same fruits, just of different degrees of maturity. The green ones, as you understand, did not have time to ripen, but the black ones reached “condition”. Knowing this, you might think that olives are healthier, but do not forget about the “miracles” of the modern food industry - a beautiful deep black color and mirror shine are given to the berries with the help of gluconate.

Thus, under the guise of black, ripe, expensive olives, we are actually eating green, unripe berries treated with chemicals.

That's why, when buying olives or olives, carefully study the composition of the contents of the jar. I will tell you later how to choose the right product, but now I will introduce you to this amazing plant from a botany point of view.

The fruits discussed in my article today grow on evergreen trees or shrubs belonging to the Olive family and belonging to the species of the genus Olive. The former usually grow four to five meters tall, but can reach 12 meters in height, while the latter do not exceed the three-meter mark.

Scientifically, this plant is called European olive, cultivated, as well as European olive or simply Olive tree.

The bark on a tree or bush covered with knots, often twisted, is colored gray. Over the years, the tree becomes hollow. The leaves on it are smooth, as if leather, and can be lanceolate or ovoid in shape. The foliage color is gray-green above and silver below.

It is interesting that the leaves of the olive tree do not fall off, but are gradually replaced by nature with new ones. This process occurs slowly - over 2-3 years.

Starting from the end of April until approximately the beginning of summer (in each climate zone at its own time), olive trees begin to bloom. During this period, trees and shrubs are covered with small white flowers with a strong aroma, collected in brushes. One such flower group can include from 10 to 40 fragrant individuals.

Time passes, usually 4-5 months, and the branches of the plant are covered with fruits - elongated oval-shaped berries, the nose of which can be either pointed or blunt. Their length usually varies from 0.7 to 4 centimeters, and their diameter, as a rule, does not exceed 2 centimeters.

Perhaps I will surprise you again, but the color of olive berries is not only green and black, in nature you can also find fruits of chocolate, golden, lilac, violet, red and pink.

And here, of course, it is worth saying that olives, which we are accustomed to consider vegetables, according to plant science, are drupes, that is, fruits with pulp concentrated around the stone. I respect botanists very much, and I think you do too, but, perhaps, we will not call olives drupes, but will continue to classify them as vegetables, since they perform the function of this particular type of product in our diet.

Olive can be called an orphan, since scientists still have not been able to figure out where exactly this amazing plant first appeared - it is so ancient. It turns out that it was always with the person!

Although there is an assumption that the birthplace of olive trees is the Greek island of Crete, where they grew back in 3500 BC. After 5 centuries, the plant took root in the countries of the Middle East. So Egypt at that time bore the proud title of the olive land. And even later, olives began to be cultivated in the Mediterranean.

Among the Greeks, this plant is considered sacred: according to legend, it was thanks to it that the goddess of knowledge Athena won a dispute with the sea god Poseidon. She offered people fruits as a gift, from which oil could be obtained, and this turned out to be more important to them than a source of salt water.

Did you know that the famous club of Hercules - the strongest man in ancient Greek mythology - was made from the trunk of an olive tree? A stake was cut from the same plant, with which the cunning Odysseus and his companions blinded the cannibal Cyclops Polyphemus. In addition, you probably know that the winners of the first Olympic Games in history were awarded not medals, but olive wreaths.

This tree experienced the great sweat described in the Bible. It was the olive branch that the dove brought to Noah after the whole earth was covered with water. So this plant has become a symbol of hope, positive change, fertility and life itself.

But, indeed, the amazing olive tree is a valuable gift for humanity. It is able to grow where other plants will not even take root - in places with arid soil, even on rocks, in a hot climate, and, at the same time, give a rich harvest

There are olive trees on our planet that are more than 2-3 thousand years old!

Today olives grow in Mediterranean countries, in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, Peru. For Russian buyers, they have already ceased to be overseas, since they are grown on an industrial scale in the Crimea, Abkhazia and the Krasnodar Territory.

Olives are such a strange product, that’s why few people like them!

At the very beginning of the article, I already mentioned the taste of these strange berries. The first thing that comes to mind is that they are fatty, or rather, oily. You bite into them and it’s as if you are drinking butter that has been thoroughly salted beforehand.

At the same time, olives, that is, black “beads”, combine tartness, saltiness and oiliness, and green olives – all of the above, and even a slight sourness. The latter are somewhat reminiscent of salted green ones, which people affectionately call “Armenians.”

The taste of olives directly depends on how they were processed before being placed in a jar - we are talking about marinades, brines, spices, additives.

Naturally, I'm talking about canned olives and black olives. You would hardly become a fan if you tried these berries in their original form. I personally have not eaten raw olive fruits, but I once read the revelations of a well-known raw foodist in relevant circles, who clearly did not like them.

The fact is that fresh green olives have a bitter taste, which few people will like, and they are hard. To soften these vegetables and rid them of bitterness, manufacturers subject them to a soaking process. Moreover, we cannot find raw olive fruits on sale here, so we have to be content with what the stores offer us, namely, canned olives and black olives.

The specific olive taste makes salads piquant.

These small shiny fruits were an indicator of family wealth in the Soviet Union. They were bought only on holidays and made an important part of an abundant feast.

Today olives are available to each of us, which means it’s time to slightly expand the scope of their use. Of course, it is best to chew these berries separately from other products in order to experience their bright aroma, unusual taste and pleasant texture.

Moreover, now on sale you can find olives stuffed with hot and sweet peppers and cheese. For my birthday, I once spoiled my guests with these fruits stuffed with... Everyone liked it!

Black and green olive berries are good in salads. They go well with vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, white, red and cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers.

Decorate any snacks with them - sandwiches, tartlets, canapés, slices. My favorite olive salad includes (but is not limited to): cheese, tomatoes, green onions, avocado and sour cream. As a result, you get a very juicy and satisfying appetizer dish that can easily replace the main dish.

Olives can often be found in bean soups and pates, in vegetable soups and stews. They can be added to spaghetti sauces, risotto, and porridge. And these vegetables will add a touch of piquancy to any of the listed dishes.

I like to sprinkle homemade pizza with olive rings - then it becomes aromatic and tastes unusual. I think that the black and green fruits of the olive tree would also look good as fillings for pies, pancakes and dumplings. Honestly, I haven’t tried this yet, but I just gave myself an idea of what dish I would cook for the children this weekend. 😀

A very original combination - I recommend trying it! 😉

Or you can, like the people of South America, add crushed olive fruits to a mixture of roasted vegetables consisting of tomatoes and onions, and then season this beauty with some sauce of your choice, although, to be honest, the traditional recipe includes wine sauce.

And, of course, the fruits of this ancient plant are used not only in the kitchen, but are also widely used in other areas of human life.

Olive is not only a valuable oil, but also a durable wood.

I think it’s no secret to anyone that these trees are grown primarily for their production, which is characterized by an impressive content of oleic acid esters. It is an oily yellowish or greenish liquid and is the national product of Greece, Spain and Italy.

To obtain it, raw olives are soaked in a special composition, which removes bitterness from the fruit and makes them softer. This process lasts for several weeks, but still does not relieve them of a slight bitterness, and therefore such a taste is inherent in even the highest quality and most expensive olive oil.

Vegetables treated with brine are first crushed, then mixed, and only after that aromatic and healthy oil is squeezed out of them. Modern factories for the production of this product are equipped with centrifuges, not presses. The remaining olive pomace is also suitable for obtaining an oily substance, only it is of much worse quality, since it is produced using chemical refining.

It is very important that the olive oil is cold pressed, that is, not heated above 25°C. This product retains all the numerous beneficial properties of raw olives.

Oil obtained from the fruits of the olive tree is widely used in folk medicine and cosmetology. It improves the digestion process, cleanses the body of toxins, and saturates it with nutrients.

This oily substance has no less beneficial effects on the skin - it increases its elasticity, moisturizes, nourishes, relieves redness and itching, and smoothes out wrinkles. After treatment with olive oil, hair becomes soft, shiny and manageable.

Using olive fruit oil in the cold season, according to the advice of the ancient science of Ayurveda, you can perform a warming massage. If you carry out this procedure daily, the body gets rid of toxins, digestion improves, and bones become stronger. And lower grades of olive oil are used to lubricate machine mechanisms, as well as for the production of natural soap.

The unique ability of olive trees to grow on mountain slopes makes them indispensable in areas where the soil is prone to subsidence and erosion. The powerful roots of olive trees hold back mudflows and thereby prevent natural disasters.

The wood of the trees on which olives grow can be processed without much difficulty, and therefore it is actively used for the production of furniture, interior items, souvenirs and various crafts.

In medicine, the bark of this plant can replace quinine, that is, the bark of the cinchona tree, which is an effective remedy for the treatment of malaria, tachycardia, and arrhythmia. It is also used to improve digestion and increase appetite.

An infusion of olive leaves has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, normalizes blood pressure and relieves the body from swelling.

Olives grow on trees, and not in jars, as many people think.

Most people don’t even think about when olives ripen on trees and bushes, because every day they see them in cans on store shelves. But at one time, it was very interesting for me to illuminate this issue for myself. Today I am sharing this information with you.

As soon as the fruits on olive trees and shrubs begin to darken, that is, acquire a purple hue, they are harvested for oil production. For the purpose of canning, green unripe berries are also picked, which are then subjected to special processing and canned. In October, these fruits are still green, but they will no longer increase in size since they have reached their maximum.

The next month is the process of darkening and softening of the olives. Depending on the variety, they may turn brown, pink, or golden. During the same period, the level of bitterness that is inherent in unripe fruits significantly decreases. If they are picked at this time, they are soaked.

Olives that remain on the branches until December acquire rich colors - chocolate, burgundy, purple. This again depends on the variety of the particular plant. In the same month, residents of Mediterranean countries pick the most valuable fruits from olive trees - juicy, soft, tasty and, moreover, healthy.

January olives are a rare delicacy that only residents of the places where they grow can pamper their taste buds. Dried olive berries are stored in a mixture of salt and olive oil; they are no longer bitter, and therefore very tasty. Traditionally they are eaten with homemade bread and fresh cheese.

Olives can be picked manually using special devices that look like pitchforks and rotate at the same time. The fruits fall onto a wide canvas previously spread on the ground. This is a more modern way.

Some Mediterranean farms still harvest olives the old-fashioned way - by “combing” their branches with a rake-like tool.

In huge olive orchards, rakes and pitchforks are indispensable, so their owners use special machines with built-in hammers that hit the trunks to harvest the harvest. Trees cannot withstand such vibration and give their fruits to people.

Among people who are sensitive to this plant and do not recognize the machine harvesting of olives, there is a legend that berries collected in this way allegedly produce less oil. In their opinion, this is how the olive trees express their resentment at the barbaric attitude towards them.

How to choose the right olives?

It is best to buy olives and olives in glass jars. This packaging is more environmentally friendly and, moreover, this way you can carefully examine its contents. Vegetables should be whole, but it is better to give preference to dull fruits, not glossy ones - they are healthier, since they have been less subjected to chemical processing.

When choosing canned olives, be sure to read what substances are included in their composition.

It is unlikely that olives and black olives can be found in stores without additives, but their quantity should be minimal.

If you plan to eat olive fruits as a separate dish or as part of snacks, it is better to buy those with pits. Pitted olives are cheaper and easier to cut, making them ideal for hot dishes and salads.

According to their economic purpose, all varieties of this plant can be divided into three groups:

Oilseeds- those from which olive oil is squeezed.
Canteens (canning)– the fruits of these varieties are rolled into jars.
Universal (combined) combine the properties of the two previous groups, that is, both oil and canned food are obtained from them.

Manufacturers of these vegetables also sort them into 15 sizes. Naturally, large individuals are valued more than small ones.

Here is a table of olive varieties according to the size of their fruits (the number of berries per kilogram is indicated on the right):

Atlas	71 - 90
Super Mamouth	91 - 100
Mamouth	101 - 110
Super Colossal	111 - 120
Colossal	121 - 140
Giants	141 - 160
Extra Jumbo	161 - 180
Jumbo	181 - 200
Extra Large	201 - 230
Large	231 - 260
Superior	261 - 290
Brilliant	291 - 320
Fine	321 - 350
Bullets A	351 - 380
Bullets B	381 - 420

show all

Today there are approximately 5 hundred varieties of olives in the world. The most popular of them are Greek.

Variety "Kalamata"

Representatives of this variety have an almond-shaped, pointed shape and a dark purple skin color. Their pulp is juicy and very aromatic.

Variety "Halkidiki"

These olives are green in color and are large, oblong-shaped fruits. This variety is an early ripening variety, since the harvest from Chalkidiki trees is already harvested in November-December. Very often, individuals of this variety are sold stuffed due to their large size.

Variety "Manakis"

These light green olive fruits are harvested quite late - in late January-early February. They can hardly be called large, but the elastic pulp of these berries has good taste.

Variety "Throubes Thassos"

The very rare variety of olives that is used dried. They are left on the branches until the end of January, and therefore acquire a unique sunny taste and concentrated aroma.

Variety "Blond Conservolea"

The harvest from trees of this variety in Greece is harvested in November. At this time, the olive berries are no longer green, but not yet purple, they turn out light and very tasty.

Other Greek varieties of olive fruits:

show all

Spanish varieties of olives:

show all

Italian varieties of olive fruit:

show all

Olive fruits grown in Tunisia:

show all

Olive varieties cultivated in other countries: "Bari zaitoon" (Pakistan), "Barnea" (Israel), "M'slalla" (Morocco), "Maalot" (Israel), "Mission" (USA), "Nabali" ( Palestine), "Souri" (Lebanon)

Olive oil can safely be called a panacea for many diseases.

Benefits of olives

These unique vegetables are valued all over the world not only for their unusual piquant taste, but also for their undoubted benefits for our body.

Olives contain acids, which are the main component of vitamin F, whose role is to be a building material for cell membranes. In our body, this nutrient can only be partially synthesized.
These black and green berries have a beneficial effect on the condition of the liver, and also cleanse our body of waste and toxins.
They reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol and saturate the body with nutrients. They have a positive effect on the condition of the heart and strengthen vascular walls.
Helps strengthen the skeletal system and is an effective prevention of osteoporosis.
They normalize the functioning of the digestive system and are used to prevent ulcers and gastritis.
They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the kidneys and prevent the development of cholelithiasis and urolithiasis in the body.
They reduce blood pressure and are therefore indicated for hypertensive patients.
Fatty acids in olives improve the condition of skin, nails and hair.

Harm of olives and black olives

Of course, preservatives used in canning olives can cause harm to your body.

It is for this reason that you should not make these vegetables a permanent item on your menu. It’s better to let them continue to remain an exotic overseas dish that decorates the holiday table from time to time.

In addition, olive fruits are high in calories and therefore should not be consumed in large quantities by overweight people. Also, they should not be eaten if you have cholecystitis.

90% of olives existing on the planet are used to produce oil, and only the remaining 10% are eaten as fruit.
According to research, approximately 500 million units of Olive plant grow in Europe. Moreover, 98% of all olives on earth grow in Mediterranean countries.
In Israel, there used to be a ban on eating fruits from trees that were no more than three years old. The government introduced a special measure called “kezait,” which literally translates from Hebrew as “like an olive.” Thus, if someone suddenly took a bite from a young tree the size of an olive, he would certainly be scourged. This is such extreme Israeli!
Despite this fact, Jews still greatly revere olive trees. It’s not for nothing that the coat of arms of their country is decorated with its branches.

Have you grown up already? 🙂 Is your childhood over? Well, I mean, do you like olives and olives already?

Olives are the fruit of the olive tree.
The olive tree is also called the European Olive tree or the Olive tree. The olive tree is an evergreen plant of the olive family, native to the Mediterranean. The olive tree lives up to two thousand years, is very hardy, and undemanding to the soil. Olive trees are grown in Israel, Greece, Spain, Italy, North African countries, the southeastern United States, Crimea, Transcaucasia, and Azerbaijan.
Olives are oval or round drupes. Unripe olives are green, ripened fruits are black.
The fruits are rich in proteins, sugars, vitamins: -active catechins, contain salts, and other elements. In addition, carbohydrates, phenolcarboxylic acids, and triterpene saponins were found in the fruits.
According to physico-chemical parameters and oil content, olives can be roughly divided into two groups: rich in oil content and less rich. Olives, rich in oil content, belong to the olive group. The second group includes varieties suitable for processing or canning varieties. The main indicators when evaluating canned varieties are the diameter of the fruit, its weight and the ratio of pulp and stone (the smaller the stone and the more pulp, the more valuable the fruit), the properties of the pulp and its chemical composition.
Daily consumption of olives reduces the risk of heart disease, vascular disease, angina pectoris, heart attacks, and cancer. The secret of its popularity is that the fruits of the olive tree contain a type of fatty acids (namely unsaturated acids) that reduce the level of bad cholesterol without affecting the content of its beneficial variety. Thus, the normal balance of vital elements in the body is maintained. In humid and hot climates, olive fruits also serve as a kind of biochemical regulator for the absorption of salt and fats.
Experts say that olives contain almost all the vitamins and microelements a person needs. The raw pulp of the fruit contains up to 80% non-drying oil, which contains unique unsaturated fatty acids - oleic (75%), linoleic (13%) and linolenic (0.55%). Unlike animal fats, they are not only not harmful, but bring considerable benefits to the body - they prevent the development of atherosclerosis, heart and vascular diseases, do not contain and promote the removal of cholesterol, and have a beneficial effect on the digestive organs. Spanish oil producers believe that olives are useful for people at any age and may well become the basis of even a child’s diet. The fact is that the acids contained in them are the main component

Sights of Cyprus. Olive Tree

Olive oil. Where did it come from? According to the biblical story, an olive branch was brought to Noah by a dove as a sign that God’s anger against people had subsided and the Great Flood had stopped. The olive tree was the first to grow after the Flood, heralding with its birth a truce between God and man.

Olive tree (lat. Olea europaea) is an evergreen subtropical tree. Belongs to the genus Olive (Olea) of the Olive family (Oleaceae). The southeastern Mediterranean is considered to be the birthplace of the olive tree. It is said that the olive was first cultivated in Greece. Evidence of this is the mention of olives in ancient Greek myths.

A curious fact is that the plant, which has been cultivated for olive oil since ancient times, is not found in the wild!

Email:

Skype: elena_skype555

Botanical description of olive

Olive is a dioecious plant: when planting, two plants are planted in each hole: a female and a male for pollination.

The olive tree is actually considered an evergreen shrub, reaching 10-12 meters in height. The olive trunk is very picturesque - covered with gray bark, gnarled, twisted, and usually hollow in old age. The branches of the tree are gnarled and long. The leaves are leathery, gray-green in color, the inner part of the leaf has a silvery tint. Olive leaves do not fall off in the winter. The tree renews its foliage gradually, over two to three years.

Olive usually blooms from late April to early July. The fragrant flowers are small (2-4 mm), white-yellow in color. On the branches, flowers are located in the axils of the leaves in the form of paniculate racemes. In one inflorescence you can count from 10 to 40 flowers. The period before flowering of a tree is very important: if 6 weeks before flowering the tree experiences drought or lack of nutrients, then its yield decreases sharply! Therefore, spring rains are especially pleasing to the owners of olive groves.

The fruit of the olive (what we call an “olive”) is considered to be a drupe. Most often it has an elongated oval shape, a pointed or blunt nose. The length of a ripe olive is from 0.7 to 4 cm, its diameter is from 1 to 2 cm. Its oil is located in the fleshy pericarp.

The color of the fruit pulp depends on the type of tree (there are more than 500 varieties of olive!): its color can be green, black, dark purple, often with an intense waxy coating. Olive fruits ripen 4-5 months after flowering - in September-November. The olive tree is most productive after 20 years of life. The olive tree bears fruit once every 2 years and with an average yield produces about 20 kg of olives.

An olive fruit on average consists of water - 60%, oil - 10-30%, sugar - 5%, protein - 1.5%, fiber - 2-5% and minerals - 2-6% (proteins, pectin, vitamins B, C, E, potassium salt, phosphorus, iron...).

90% of the fruit is used to make olive oil, which even without preservatives has a long shelf life. Olive oil has a wonderful taste and, importantly, is 98% digestible (sunflower oil is only 80% absorbable!). Unlike animal fats, olive oil is not only not harmful, but brings considerable benefits to the body. The acids it contains are a necessary building material for the cell membranes of our body! The energy value of olive oil is 898 kcal/100g.

Olive oil is used in the cosmetics industry, widely used in cooking and in the production of premium canned food.

Olive leaves are used in the pharmaceutical industry. They contain organic acids, phytosterol, glycoside oleuropein, resins, flavonoids, lactone elenolide, bitter and tannins, essential oils (phenol, camphene, eugenol, cineol, citral and alcohols), as well as organic acids, bitters, flavonoids and tannins. Infusions from olive leaves normalize blood pressure, cure respiratory diseases, and stimulate the immune system.

Greenish-yellow, heavy, strong and curly olive wood lends itself well to polishing and is used for making dishes and furniture. It is also valued by woodcarvers; it is used for inlays and the manufacture of expensive turning and carpentry products. Olive tree bark is used by pharmacists as a substitute for cinchona.

Olive trees are a good ameliorant. Planted on mountain slopes, they make the soil resistant to erosion and subsidence, which is very important in stopping landslides, soil erosion and wasteful discharge of rainwater. The long-lasting and powerful root system of trees can stop landslides!

Today, the total area of cultivated olive cultivation is measured in millions of hectares. The largest quantities of olives are grown in Spain, Italy and Greece.

Where to buy rustic olive oil and cosmetics based on it?

Book a private trip to an olive oil factory

Phone, Viber, WhatsApp +357 99 163 404

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Skype: elena_skype555

Olive branch - symbol of peace

A dove carrying an olive branch is depicted on the emblem of the World Peace Congress. The olive branch is widely used in heraldry, where it has a similar meaning.

The connection of the olive tree with the life of the southern peoples is reflected in numerous legends. The dove with an olive branch in its beak served as a theme and emblem in Old Testament legends. In Mediterranean countries, olive oil was used not only for food, but also for sacrifices, for anointing hair and body, and was added to lamps.

During archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, ancient oil mills are discovered everywhere. Images of olives and oil amphora are characteristic of the ancient culture of Egypt. Theophrastus wrote that the olive grew in Thebes and the oases of the Libyan Desert. The ancient Phoenicians spread the olive throughout the Mediterranean. The ancient Greek epic is especially rich in legends about the olive. The olive, along with figs, pomegranates and pears, is glorified in the Odyssey. Requirements for olive cultivation are contained in the laws of Solon. Greek settlers to Asia Minor, the Western Mediterranean and the southern coast of Crimea brought olives with them and planted them on new lands.

Book an individual trip to Cyprus

with a visit to the oil mill and tasting of freshly squeezed olive oil

Phone, Viber, WhatsApp +357 99 163 404

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Skype: elena_skype555

Olive picking time is a big holiday

October, November, December are the main olive harvesting months and the time for olive oil production. Cypriots call this time the “Olive Harvest Festival”.

Anyone who has observed the process at least once would hardly dare to call this event a holiday: in order to collect olives from one tree, several hours of manual labor are required!

To collect olives you have to climb a tree and dress in thick work suits, since the branches of olive trees are quite sharp, contact with them is not only unpleasant, but also fraught with injuries to the skin.

The collected olives are taken to the factory, where olive oil is squeezed out of them, that is, Extra Virgin Olive Oil! The most delicious and healthy.

For a photo report on how olive oil is pressed, see here:

http://site/index.php/remesla/87-oliveoil.html

The remaining olives are pickled or salted.

Book an individual trip to Cyprus

with a visit to the oil mill and tasting of freshly squeezed olive oil

Phone, Viber, WhatsApp +357 99 163 404

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Skype: elena_skype555

Oliva in Cyprus

Thousands of evergreen olive trees with colorful shapes, picturesquely curved trunks, and heavy branches strewn with berries in the fall grow on the island. Traveling around the island you will see olive groves everywhere. You will also see olive trees near the houses of local residents - it is a rare family in Cyprus that does not own at least several olive trees.

Oil is still produced here according to ancient traditions - by cold pressing. Here, as before, they prefer not to pickle olives, but to salt them, generously sprinkling them with seasonings and pouring lemon juice over them. Here, as in the old days, hair and skin are anointed with olive oil, and an olive branch, blessed in the church, is pinned to the front door of the house.

You can buy excellent quality olive oil and freshly pickled olives in any supermarket on the island, but you can also go straight to the factory to buy neem.

In any pharmacy and even in a souvenir shop you will find cosmetics made from this wonderful oil. You can buy cosmetics from the manufacturer's laboratory

In Cyprus you can purchase healing infusions from olive leaves, as well as unique healing olive tea.

Book an individual trip to Cyprus

with journalist Elena Nikolaeva

with a visit to the oil mill and tasting of freshly squeezed olive oil

Phone, Viber, WhatsApp +357 99 163 404

Views: 3635

26.12.2018

European olive or olive Tree(lat. Olea europaea, Olive family) is a slow-growing, evergreen, fruit-bearing tree or shrub that lives in a subtropical climate. Olive is rightly called one of the oldest garden crops on Earth. Its homeland is presumably the territory of Asia Minor and Syria, where wild olives can still be found today. They form real forests near the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern coast of Anatolia.

The olive tree is an important element of the Mediterranean vegetation and cultural landscape. Olive groves are partially found in some coastal areas of the Black Sea region, not exposed to extreme climatic conditions. After the exploration of the New World by colonialists, olives began to be grown in the appropriate climatic conditions of North and South America. The first olive tree was planted by Spanish conquistadors in 1560, in Lima (Peru), from where the culture spread to Mexico, the USA (California), and the Hawaiian Islands. Today, olive plantations can also be found in Australia, South Africa, and Japan.

All olive growing areas are located between 30° and 45 ° northern and southern latitudes. The most optimal climate for them is close to the Mediterranean, that is, the average annual temperature is +15...20° C and annual precipitation ranges from 500 mm to 700 mm (with a required minimum of 200 mm). The trees are highly heat and drought resistant, but suffer greatly in cold winters from destructive low temperatures. Prolonged exposure to even moderate frosts threatens not only the harvests of individual years, but also the existence of entire plantations. An example of this is the severe cold snap in Eastern Europe in February 1956, which destroyed millions of olive trees in the south of France, Italy and Spain. The northernmost olive grove that currently exists is on the island of Anglesey, near Wales, in the Irish Sea.

The name "olive" comes from the Latin Olivum, meaning "olive fruit", "olive tree", which in turn may have been taken from the archaic Greek ἔλαιϝον ( élaiwon), which in classical Greek ἐλαία ( elaía) has the same meaning: “olive fruit”, “olive tree”. Nowadays, in many languages of the world the word “olive” is translated as olive tree oil.

The first evidence of the cultivation of olive trees in the Mediterranean basin dates back to approximately the 4th century BC. e. Olive pits and wood fragments have been found during excavations of ancient tombs. It is known that in 3000 BC. e. olives were grown commercially in Crete. The ancient Greeks, having studied the beneficial properties of olive trees, and especially their fruits, began cultivating plants as a source of valuable vegetable oil. The olive fruits themselves were of great nutritional importance, and were consumed only after preliminary preparation. fermentation.

Today, olive trees are a very important agricultural crop. World olive plantations occupy more than 11 million hectares, which makes it possible to produce about 23 million tons of olives annually, with a significant increase in these figures observed every year. Traditionally, the largest producers are Spain, Greece and Italy, which grow almost 60% of all olives in the world. The top ten olive oil producers include: Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, the European Union (28 countries), Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey and Uruguay. They provide up to 95% of the world's production of this product.

Olives belong toheliophilicplants, so any shading has a depressing effect on them and significantly reduces the abundance of flowering. Trees also react poorly to lower temperatures. Already at +3...4° You can observe the drying of the tips of their shoots. And frosts down to -7...10° C are capable of causing significant damage to the crop, causing the death of its vegetative part. The action of strong winds, especially together with low temperatures and excessive rainfall, is also unfavorable for the development of olive trees. These factors must be taken into account when organizing olive cultivation.

In addition to sunny, warm and dry climates, olive trees prefer loose or medium-structured, well-drained soils rich in lime. They can also grow in rocky and shallow soils in rocky areas. Heavy soils prone to stagnant moisture cannot be used for growing olives. The crop is quite undemanding in terms of soil fertility: it can grow on poor soils with a reaction that is far from neutral (pH 8.5...9). Olive is one of the few crops that can grow in salinity conditions, so it is often grown on sea coasts.

The root system of the olive tree develops depending on soil conditions, but the bulk of the adventitious roots are concentrated in the fertile layer, no deeper than 0.7 - 1 m. On loose soils, the main roots of the tree grow vertically, penetrating to a depth of 7 m, and in hard soils and rocky soil, the root system is formed in the form of a highly branched surface network. This feature of the plant explains its ability to withstand long (sometimes up to several months) dry periods. Olive trees survive long, dry summers without damage, resuming their vegetative activity only with the onset of rains. Lack of moisture still negatively affects the quality of the crop. It is especially critical during flowering, fruit formation and growth.

The olive tree can reach a height of 10–20 m, but in industrial plantings it undergoes regular pruning for ease of harvesting, so the tree’s growth rarely exceeds 5–10 m. The lifespan of the plant is several centuries; there are specimens up to 1000–1600 years old or more. . Unlike other representatives of fruit trees, olives do not cease to please with their harvest even after a thousand years of age. Having reached an industrial level of fruiting by the age of 50, olives continue to increase their productivity every year. And although old trees do not bear fruit every year, their yield is impressive.

With age, the olive tree forms a very branched crown over a short, but rather thick, knotty and hollow trunk, and the smooth gray-green bark, characteristic of young trees, cracks and acquires a dull dark gray, sometimes brownish-gray hue. Very strong, heavy and durable olive wood has a beautiful texture and is easy to polish, so it is used for inlaying expensive wood products, making wind instruments, furniture parts, carved crafts, souvenirs, kitchen utensils, etc.

The leathery olive leaves are lanceolate or oval in shape, they reach 4–10 cm in length and 1–3 cm in width. The upper surface of the leaves is grayish-green, and the lower surface is silvery. During flowering, which, depending on the climatic zone, can occur from late April to mid-June, racemes of 10 to 15 small, but very fragrant four-petaled flowers of white or cream color, pollinated by the wind, are formed on the olive trees.

Fruiting of olives occurs no earlier than 3–4 years after planting, and full harvests can be collected on trees nine or ten years old. The fruit is a small drupe of ellipsoidal, sometimes almost spherical shape, from 0.7 cm to 4 cm long and 1 – 2 cm in diameter. As olive fruits ripen, they change their color from light green to almost black with a purple or brownish tint. It is customary to call unripe, green fruits olives, and fully ripe, dark ones are olives. Sometimes canned olives are given an artificial black color by keeping them in alkali, then exposing them to oxygen and finally placing them in a solution of ferrous gluconate (E 579).

There are three areas of industrial olive growing. Depending on the final purpose, they are cultivated for: pressing olive oil, growing table varieties of olives, or combining both of these options. About 90% of the harvested olives are processed to produce olive oil. This product is in great demand, so even with the existing high competition among manufacturers, its price does not fall below $4,200/t (wholesale sales).

The pulp of ripe olive fruits consists of 50 - 70% water, it also contains vegetable fats (6 - 30%), sugars (2 - 6%), protein (1 - 3%), fiber (1 - 4%), ash (0.6 - 1%). The beneficial properties of olives are associated with their constituent vitamins A, group B (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, choline, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid), E, K and antioxidants. In addition, the fruits are rich in elements such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, selenium, zinc. Highly valuable nutrients are contained not only in the pulp of olives of varying degrees of ripeness, but also in their pits, which are completely processed in the gastrointestinal tract.

Table olives, depending on the degree of ripeness, are classified into three groups:

1. Green olives They are harvested at the stage of milky ripeness, when they reach full size and their skin acquires shades from green to yellow.

2. Semi-ripe or colored olives They are harvested at the beginning of the ripening cycle, when their color begins to change from green to a multi-colored palette of red-brown shades. Unlike ripe olives, the flesh of the fruit at this stage has no pigmentation, only the skin is colored.

3. Olives or ripe olives Harvested at full maturity when they are fully ripe. Their color comes in different shades, from purple to brown or black.

Before eating, green olives are pre-processed, since their fresh pulp contains many bitter phenolic compounds, incl. oleuropein. The fermentation process is carried out using an alkaline medium (2 - 4% NaOH solution), repeated washing with water, immersion in brine (8 - 12% NaCl solution), etc. As a result, oleuropein and other unfavorable phenolic compounds are washed out and broken down. The process ends with the formation of metabolites from bacteria and yeast, such as organic acids, probiotics, glycerin and esters, which significantly improve the taste of the olives. Ripe olives are not always fermented. As the fruits ripen, phenolic substances are converted into other organic products, their levels decrease significantly, which makes ripe olives completely edible.

Many people ask whether olives are a fruit or a berry. What kind of plant is this? We will consider these and other questions in the article.

Or cultivated olive - a subtropical evergreen tree. The plant belongs to the species of the genus Olive (olea) of the Olive family (Oleaceae). Since ancient times, it has been grown to produce olive oil; it is not found in the wild.

Olives

So, are olives a fruit or a vegetable or a berry? Olives are the fruits of the olive tree - black olives. They are the ripe fruits taken from the branch at the end of the season. Green olives are usually picked unripe.

Olives are neither a berry, nor a fruit, nor a vegetable. In fact, they are classified into a separate category - the olive family.

There has long been debate about the dangers and benefits of olives. We almost always purchase products that depend on a variety of additives, some of which may be synthetic. And yet these fruits also have valuable qualities.

Benefit

Why do many people wonder: are olives a fruit or a berry? Yes, because these are very useful fruits. They improve the activity of blood vessels and the heart, strengthen the mucous membranes and cell membranes. Olives are good for stomach and liver health. During the diet, monounsaturated fatty acids replenish the supply of nutritional substances. There is evidence of the beneficial effects of olives on the body during pregnancy. They help normalize the level of sodium salts and hemoglobin, a deficiency of which is observed in expectant mothers.

Olives are widely used in cosmetology as they have anti-aging properties. This product has long been considered an aphrodisiac with a healing effect on men's health. It contains linoleic acid, which promotes the proper development of the children's nervous system.

Bones

Arguing about whether olives are a fruit or a berry, let's look at the beneficial properties of olives with pits. In traditional medicine they are used to heal joints. To do this, the bones are crushed, combined with molten wax, placed on a heating pad and the affected areas are heated.

However, in addition to their healing qualities, olives have some contraindications. So, in order not to cause harm to health, if you are overweight and cholecystitis, you need to limit the consumption of these fruits. Their energy value is high, because 100 g of olives is 145 kcal.

Cooking

Don't worry about olives - they are fruits or berries. It is better to find out where these delicious fruits are used. Olives are used constantly in cooking. Mainly, they serve as a decoration for dishes and as an independent snack, although they are often added to soups and salads. And stewed dishes acquire spicy, bright notes with them.

Explanation

Olives are a fruit that came to us from the Mediterranean. In our country, green fruits are called olives, and black fruits are called olives, as mentioned above. In fact, there is no fruit called “olive”! On our planet, olives have only one name - “olive”.

The fruit of the olive is a drupe, and therefore many people call it a berry. Depending on the form in which it is used, it can be both a vegetable and a fruit. If it is part of a salad, then it is a vegetable. If eaten fresh, it is a fruit.

Tree

So, we have already found out that an olive is a berry. The olive tree in the Mediterranean is regarded as immortal. It grows very slowly, but lives for about 2.5 thousand years, and its fruits give the body a myriad of useful and necessary substances - iron, phosphorus and potassium, vitamins B, C, E and so on. The bones are completely digested without causing any harm to the body.

Usually the height of the olive tree is six meters, but sometimes you can find trees twice as tall. During flowering, it exudes a wonderful fragrance. An olive tree can be fertile and useful only after reaching 20 years of age. The tree bears berries once every two years.

History and Application

Olive originated in Greece and continues to be actively cultivated there today. The plant was introduced to the United States in 1560 and grown in Peru and Mexico. Today, olive is successfully grown in the Mediterranean powers, Iraq, Georgia, Pakistan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and India.

Olive is Therefore, they plant it in two pieces: male and female together. Olive oil is produced from its fruits, which is used in the manufacture of canned fish. It contains phosphorus, iron, sugars, pectin, vitamins B, P, C. The quality of the oil is affected by the type of tree, the type of soil in which it grows, and climatic conditions. In addition, olives are canned, as already mentioned, and used as a snack.

Olive wood is used to make furniture, carpentry and turning products. The bark and leaves and the oil contained in the fruits are used for medicinal purposes.

In addition, olive oil is popular in soap making and the perfume industry. Trees provide excellent protection against landslides and soil erosion. Their root system prevents natural disasters.

Reflections

Let's return to the definition of olives. Are they vegetables or fruits? Judging by the seed, they are not berries. So they're fruit? What is the essence of the division into vegetables and fruits?

The fruit is known to be edible, from a bush or tree. Certain berries are also a type of fruit. “Fruit” is usually called any fruit consisting of seeds and pulp and arising from the ovary of a flower. Vegetables are the fruits of herbaceous plants with soft stems uncovered by tree bark.

Botanists consider all fruits that contain seeds to be fruits. They divide them into three groups:

Fruits with juicy pulp and seeds (melons, oranges, apples, berries).
Dry fruits (peas, nuts, beans).
Fruits with juicy pulp and a single central large stone (peaches, plums, cherries).

Vegetable is a culinary term meaning the edible part (such as a tuber or fruit) of a plant that is not a grain, fruit, herb, nut or spice.

In this classification, berries are classified as fruits. It is known that the stem of the olive is not herbaceous, which means it is clearly not a vegetable. In fact, fruits such as cherries, raspberries, plums, and walnuts are drupes. It looks like the olive is a drupe, not a berry.

But still, it turns out that both the berry and the drupe are fruits. So olive is a fruit. Of course, it is more correct to think that olives are a vegetable, a fruit and a berry all rolled into one. And yet many people claim that an olive is an olive!