The bitterness is a positive attribute of Finest Olives, and Olive Oils, caused by a variety of phenol compounds (types of antioxidant)..
There is a substantial difference in the nutrients and flavor of the olives based on how they are processed to be edible, as some bitterness needs to be partially removed, with some sort of processing.
Our Olives are 100% authentic Greek-style processed with much more natural way of curing olives in order to maintain these antioxidants.
Based on numerous, results showed that Greek style edible olives had the highest concentration of all phenols (antioxidants) measured.
» The Proven Superiority of the Genuine Greek-style Olives
Table Olives are processed in 3 ways: The Spanish-style green, the California-style black ripe, and the Greek-style naturally black olives processing, not particularly related to the country of origin, although in most cases they are.
The period of time and the type of the solution used for the Olive can processing determines the concentration and the retaining of all antioxidants.
All 3 methods are designed to remove oleuropein, the bitter phenolic compound in olives, but it also affects other phenolics (antioxidants). These antioxidants present in the olive have been associated with several health benefits and may protect from chronic diseases, so it’s in our benefit to preserve as much of them as possible while still have an olive that is edible.
- Spanish and California style use sodium hydroxide solution (lye*) to remove some of the bitter compounds and in some cases ripen the olive, this process takes a few days.
- The Greek style processing uses sodium chloride (salt), a brine solution to remove some of the bitter compounds in ripe olives and that process takes about 6-9 months.
It appears that the Greek style processing of olives retains a higher level of antioxidants according to a many recent studies.
» GK olives had the highest concentration of all compounds measured
International Agricultural and Food Science researchers have found that the processing of an olive can affect the levels of antioxidants it contains, like this published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
In this study, 3 styles of olives were analyzed by the researchers (Spanish-style green, California-style black ripe, and Greek- style naturally black olives), using the "Rapid Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry" a chemistry technique that includes physical separation but also showing the structure and chemical properties of molecules.
According to this study, results showed that Greek style olives had the highest concentration of all phenols (antioxidants) measured, with the exception of oleocanthal, which was highest in the Spanish style olives. California style olives had the lowest levels of most compounds measured.
(*) According to the researchers lye breaks down many of these protective compounds which then get lost during processing of the olive. The researchers note that these results can help processors use other more natural ways of curing olives in order to maintain these antioxidants.
» Greek-Style Table Olives and their Functional Value: Bioactivity, Chemistry and Processing
Therefore Not All Olive Oils are the same… even extra virgin ones!
Abstact
One of the most important commercial preparations of table olives in the international market is natural black olives in brine.
Table olives are fruits with high nutritional and functional value.
Apart from their nutritional value, olives also contain secondary compounds, such as phenolics, tocopherols, and triterpenes, which are frequently attributed with functional properties.
This chapter discusses a number of studies focusing on the content of such components in table olives of Greek olive cultivars.
Phenolics are a major category of components with important biological properties present in olive drupes.
Apart from their contribution to sensory and aromatic characteristics of olives, they are also regarded as natural antioxidants due to their reducing properties as hydrogen- or electron-donating agents.
More Greek-style natural black table olives are a good source of bioactive compounds.
