Smudge Eats: Olives

Originally published 28th June 2016

From small, tart black ones to plump, juicy green ones, olives add a certain bounce to your cooking. Here’s how best to buy, store, and cook with them. 

Olives bring to mind Mediterranean dishes, sunshine, and a crisp glass of wine. Technically a fruit, they are cured to reduce their bitterness – their colour indicates what stage of ripening they were at when picked. They’re also surprisingly good for you, full of vitamin e, and a unique antioxidant found exclusively in them, thought to decrease inflammation and reduce heart disease. Here’s how best to buy, store, and enjoy them.

How to Buy

Buy loose olives where possible to enjoy them at their freshest. You are also likely to be able to try before you buy this way: who doesn’t enjoy a little sampling? Ensure your olives are not overly soft or squashed, or showing any sign of decay.

Un-pitted olives keep their taste and texture better than the pitted option. Although that’s no excuse not to enjoy the pitted and stuffed variety! You can also buy them tinned or bottled.

How To Store

Tinned or bottled olives can be kept in a cool, dark place until they are opened. Then, as with loose olives, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They should ideally be consumed within 3-4 days; any longer and they will start to deteriorate

How To Cook

Olives go surprisingly well in, on, or with a whole host of dishes. Of course, they are also delicious on their own.

Serve up a selection of different types – plain, stuffed with cheese, anchovies, or nuts – as pre-dinner nibbles. Alternatively, pair with cheese and meat platters, and a good glass of wine.

Toss into the quintessential Greek salad with feta, cucumber, and onion, or add to a whole variety of other salads. Make into tapenade, top off a pizza, or cook with lemon potatoes as a side to a fish or chicken dish. The variety of olives means you can use those with a stronger or milder taste, depending on the dish.

From olive-topped pizzas, to spicy tomato and olive pastas, some of our favourite chefs share their recipes for how to make the most of olives. 

Return of the Mack from Moon Dog Craft Brewery

Bream Aqua Pazza from Jamie’s Italian

Rigatoni Salsicce from Gemelli Italian

Braised Chicken by Camilla Ferraro

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Illustration by Carla McRae
Words by Camilla Sampson