Facts About Olives You Never Knew

Olives are one of the most fascinating foods in the world. From the salads we eat to the oil we cook with, olive products are everywhere. While most of us are familiar with the taste and versatility of olives, many people are unfamiliar with just how interesting olives actually are. In today’s post, we’ll explain a few of the most interesting facts about olives you probably didn’t know! Sicilian Village provides a wide variety of fresh olives that are perfect for snacking or adding to your favorite dish—browse our olive store online when you’ve finished reading!

Raw Olives Are Bitter

If you expected fresh olives to taste amazing right off the vine, you may be in for a bit of a shock. Contrary to what most people expect, fresh olives can have a bitter quality to them, and this is the primary reason that olives are cured with salt. Salt-cured olives are free of the bitter chemicals that cause raw olives to taste acidic or tart.

Olive Trees Live for a Long, Long Time 

One of the facts about olives that you probably haven’t heard is that olive trees are actually a species of evergreen plant. Olive trees have been cultivated for at least 5,000 years, and some scholars estimate that they have been a cultural staple around the world for even longer. While some olive trees can live for up to 2,000 years, the average lifespan for most olive trees is between 300 and 600 years. One of the reasons that olive trees can live for such a long time is because they have incredibly complex and far-reaching root systems. A key to thriving in a hot and humid environment is being able to stay nourished and well-hydrated during the hottest days of the year, and the roots of the olive tree do exactly that. It’s a good thing that olive trees live for such a long time when you consider the fact that they won’t be able to be harvested until they’ve been growing for at least 15 years!

Olive Oil Is the Primary Use for Olives

Though olives are a great snack and addition to many dishes, the overwhelming majority of fresh olives around the world are used to manufacture olive oil. In fact, olive oil production uses about 90 percent of the world’s olive harvest each year! This is partly due to the studies in the past few decades that have demonstrated the numerous health benefits of olive oil, including those that note the benefits of olive oil for the skin and hair. 

We hope that you’ve enjoyed these facts about olives! Stay tuned for future posts in which we’ll continue to provide you with facts about olives you probably never knew. Sicilian Village produces salt-cured olives using the time-tested traditions of Sicily. Whether you’re looking for a heart-healthy snack or the perfect addition to your next meal, we know that enjoy the taste of our olives. We carry numerous varieties and sizes of our salt-cured olives, so stop by our online olive store to browse our inventory!