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Vegetables · Pickled & preserved

Black olives

Cured black or dark olives, such as Kalamata, eaten as a snack and used in salads, pizzas, stews and tapenade.

Also called: olives, kalamata olives, zeytin

39 recipes with it

What it is

Olives are the fruit of the olive tree and are too bitter to eat raw, so they are cured in brine, salt, oil or lye. Black olives are fully ripe; naturally cured ones are wrinkly or purple-brown (Kalamata, Niçoise), while uniformly black, mild canned olives are often treated to darken. Green olives are picked unripe and are firmer and sharper.

Olea europaea

How it’s used

  • Mezze, antipasti and breakfast plates
  • Scattered on pizza, salads and pasta
  • Blended into tapenade
  • Simmered in stews and tagines

Characteristics

Taste
Salty, fruity and slightly bitter.
Texture
Soft to meaty; wrinkled types are dense and chewy.
When cooked
Add salt to dishes, so season lightly; flavour holds up in long cooking.
Sold as
cured, canned
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Used as a garnish

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Store unopened jars in the pantry; once opened keep olives submerged in their brine in the fridge.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Olives are high in salt.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
116 kcal
Protein
0.84 g
Carbohydrate
6.04 g
Fat
10.9 g
Fibre
1.6 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Green olives — Sharper and firmer; same quantity.
  • Capers — Use far fewer for a similar salty tang.

Related ingredients

Recipes with black olives

See all 39

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