Green and black olives

Whether an olive is green or black is not a question of variety, but of ripeness. What this means for texture and taste, why blackened olives are a different matter, and which olive is suitable for what.

Glas Oliven Mix Provence entsteint von Arnaud

Two jars side by side, one green, the other jet black, and in between the question of whether these are two different fruits. They are not. The color of a table olive reveals almost nothing about the variety and almost everything about the day it was picked from the tree. The international trade standard for table olives therefore categorizes them not by color, but by ripeness: green olives, olives turning color, and black olives. In this context, "green" means the fruit was picked from the tree before changing color, but only after it had reached full size. "Black" means it was fully ripe or nearly so.

Why do black olives taste different than green ones?

Much like bell peppers, the olive changes color as the fruit ripens. If the olives are harvested early in September or October, they are still green, not yet fully ripe, but still plump and firm to the bite, fruity, and slightly tart in flavor. Because their flesh is still firm, they do not release their oil easily. If they remain on the tree longer and are allowed to continue ripening, their color changes from reddish-brown to violet to black. Black olives are fully ripe and softer than the green ones. Their flavor is harmonious and mild, and they release their oil more readily.

The harvest for table olives begins at the end of September, and the exact timing of the picking depends on the variety, the weather, and what the final product in the jar is intended to be. There is no sharp boundary between green and black, but rather a scale. The trade standard describes them soberly: green olives range in color from green to straw-yellow, black ones from reddish-black to violet-black and deep violet, all the way to greenish-black and deep chestnut brown. So, if you see different shades in a jar next to each other, you aren't looking at a mistake, but rather at fruits that had reached different levels of ripeness at the time of harvest.

Green and black olives have one thing in common: you cannot eat either of them fresh from the tree. They contain oleuropein and are so bitter because of it that they are simply inedible. Only the debittering process turns the fruit into a food, and this is precisely where their paths diverge again. Traditionally, the fruits lie for weeks in brine, which is replaced several times: black olives for at least four weeks, green ones for up to several months. This is usually followed by further ripening in brine or vinegar. The fast way involves lye, which is predominantly used for green olives: in a lye bath, the bitter compounds are broken down in just a few hours, though the fruits must then be soaked in water for several days until all traces of the lye are gone.

What you perceive in your mouth, in the end, is a combination of both: ripeness and craftsmanship. Green olives remain firm-fleshed and snap quietly when you bite into them. Black ones are usually somewhat smaller and full-bodied, with softer flesh. Try the test with two olives side by side—one green and one black, both plain, without bread in between. The green one arrives with a snap and a tart edge, the black one is soft and mild.

How to identify a blackened olive

There is a third kind of olive, and with it, the color is deceptive. "Blackened" olives are not black olives. The trade standard lists them as a separate preparation: green olives or olives turning color that have been blackened in an alkaline environment through oxidation, filled into tightly sealed containers, and heat-sterilized. A uniform black color is expressly required. To ensure this lasts, iron(II) gluconate (E 579) and iron(II) lactate (E 585) may be added. These are not dyes, but stabilizers: they maintain the black color that the oxygen has produced.

An olive that was harvested green and colored black has neither the texture nor the aroma of a naturally ripened black olive. It will be firm and somewhat bitter and usually very uniformly colored black. For me, there is no advantage to eating a colored olive; it is better to choose a green one that requires no coloring.

Two touchstones can help you, and both cost nothing. The first is on the packaging: such goods must be labeled "blackened olives," and the additives must be listed: for packaged goods in the ingredient list, for loose goods at the deli counter, at the weekly market, and on the menu. So, read the product name, not just the brand name, and then the list of ingredients. The second touchstone is on the plate: blackened olives usually have a smooth surface, firmer flesh, and are uniformly deep black, while the pit remains green. Naturally ripened black olives, on the other hand, frequently show varying color shades, an irregular surface, and a soft texture. With pitted goods, you can't check the pit—in that case, look at the surface, the bite, and whether every fruit in the jar has the exact same shade.

Why are black olives more expensive than green ones?

Because time on the tree costs money. Black olives ripen longer. Additionally, the harvesting and processing of the soft, fully ripe fruit are more labor-intensive. This is why black olives are often more expensive than green ones.

At Arnaud, you can taste this extra effort in every jar. Maison Arnaud in Tarascon, Provence, is a confiserie d’olives—a company that specializes in refining olives. The black olives in our selection are harvested fully ripe, debittered, and dry-cured in salt, slowly and in barrels, until their flavor intensifies; then, Provençal thyme is added. The ingredient list remains just four lines long: pitted black olives, salt, sunflower oil, and 0.4 percent thyme.

Which is better, black or green olives?

Neither, and that is the honest answer. The better olive is the one that suits what you are planning. Green provides a snap and a tart edge; black provides savory depth and releases its oil more easily. In hot dishes, that pays off; for a cold platter, the bite of the green is often preferable.

For what	What you need	From our selection
Aperitif, antipasti and cheese platter	firm, crisp, stuffed	green olives with Piment d’Espelette, green olives with lemon
A bowl that stands on its own	large, with filling, to grab	Gordal olives with chili
Salad, pasta, cold kitchen	pitted, in olive oil	Taggiasca olives pitted
Stew, sugo, pizza	fully ripe, savory, soft	black olives pitted
Mild side dish, snack	firm, aromatic with herbs	green olives pitted
If you don't want to decide	both colors in one jar	Olive Mix Provence pitted

Kerstin's kitchen: which olive to serve when

Green olives, such as those from Arnaud or the stuffed ones from Ederki, are wonderful as a snack, on an antipasti or cheese platter, or with nuts and chips. The Taggiasca olives from Roi are an enhancement for Mediterranean salads, such as a Greek salad with feta or an Italian pasta salad with fennel salami. When simmered in warm dishes, black olives bring an intense savoriness to the meal.

The Taggiasca comes from Badalucco in the Valle Argentina, Liguria, ripens for six months in brine, and is then stored in extra virgin olive oil; 61 percent olive, 36 percent oil, plus salt and citric acid—there is nothing else in the jar. The Gordal from Andalusia takes a different path: large, green, pitted, filled with red chili, ten percent of which is chili. Its name comes from El Gordo, the fat one, and you can see it.

And if you haven't prepared anything for the evening: a bowl of olives, a piece of bread, a bit of leftover cheese, and half a tomato with salt. A dinner doesn't need anything more.