the olive blog

Changing fortunes

A nice AFP article here on tha changing fortunes of olive oil.  It argues the turning point for this oil came in the 1990s, with studies on the so-called "French Paradox" -- that apparent contradiction between a relatively rich diet and a lower percentage of cases of cardio-vascular problems for the French, compared with figures for northern Europeans or with the United States.

olives or olive oil

Dr. Blonz from nashua telegraph tackles the question "Do olives offer same benefits as their oil?" with the answer here.

Olive oil brings more than flavor to your diet

Olive oil brings more than flavor to your diet. So says Karen Collins R.D. in this article at MSNBC.

Martinis and Olives

An interesting article on Martinis and olives can be found here.

Christmas Hampers

Good to see that olive oil is now a standard item in Christmas hampers. This article has an analysis of the UK store Selfridges Hampers since the 1930.

Fresh Olive Oil

A good article on the joys of delicious pressed olive oil can be found here. And the Tuscan olive oil described matches the olive blog's experience. The author, Patricia Talorico, then goes onto describe it use in a mouthwatering passage:

"The fresh, sprightly oil was used as a condiment throughout the meal. We drizzled it atop steaming bowls of ribollita, the Tuscan white bean soup, and rounds of schiacciata con olio, a savory, flat Florentine bread. The oil also was a topping for thinly sliced roasted rosemary pork, sprinkled onto roasted red onions and butternut squash, dressed -- along with Barolo wine -- on a chicory salad and poured on top a bowl of soft, creamy zolfini beans."

Meanwhile another article on the price of olive oil and the possible differing impacts of Spain's drought and increasingly health conscious users. The price of good fresh local oil is low enough in most countries that you would think even price rises would not deter an increase in use.

Wiki, Olives and Olive Oil

the olive blog has been meaning for some time to put a link to Wikipedia's page on olives and the one of olive oil.  Interestingly the entry points out that the United States is not a Member of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) and that the United States Department of Agriculture does not legally recognize its classifications (such as extra-virgin olive oil).  The list of IOOC members and ex-members is here and a list of observers here.

Healthly Bugs or Olive Oil

Today's UK Independent has an article on probiotic or "friendly bacteria" drinks, from Actimel to Yakult. The Indy says the message from marketeers is "drink me and you will become a sleeker, healthier or fitter human being."  Well maybe on some counts but Cahal Milmo, the author of the article, concludes:

"...the real path to good health lies in a discovery made long before probiotics and omega 3 - the Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and a small amount of meat and oily fish."

New food labelling laws in Australia

Australia's Federal Agriculture Minister is announcing plans for tighter labeling laws for packaged food.  The ABC reports that if the Australia's states approve the new measures, the changes will be implemented early in 2006.  Minister Peter McGauran says, "So that if you've got corn and broccoli in a packet, at the moment it will say, 'from imported product', you will have to say it's corn from China and it's broccoli from Chile. Or, if you've got a jar with olives and it says 'Made in Australia from imported product', it will now have to say 'Made in Australia from Italian olives".

Buying and Curing Olives

An article in today's Star Leger about buying fresh olives and DIY curing. Maurice Penna, and his wife, Cynthia, of M&CP Farms in Orland, California sell fresh olives direct from their website. And they have started their own blog on curing olives which the olive blog is happy to recommend. Possibly the second blog on the net, though irregulary updated (last update July), devoted to olives! Good luck!

Back to the article they run through five ways to cure olives which is a subject discussed here several times before. The Star Leger article notes:

"Lye: Ripe black olives are cured in a lye (sodium hydroxide) solution, which is rinsed off with cold water before the olives are canned.

Salt: Black ripe olives take about a week to cure in this manner; green unripe olives can take several weeks. These dry-cured olives are often finished in an oil cure.

Brine: Here the olives are soaked for several weeks to six months in a solution of water, salt and sometimes vinegar.

Oil: Olives are soaked in -- what else? -- olive oil for many months.

Water: Treatment with water calls for repeatedly soaking and draining the olives for several weeks or months."