Choosing a particular product, we often do not know about its origin, do not have a clue about how it is eaten properly and what is its nutritional value. Information on the calorie content of a product is simply necessary if you are on a strict diet or just monitor your health. Let's talk about olives and olives: what they are and what is the calorie content of olives.
What are olives and olives?
Olives and olives are the name of the same fruit that grows on an olive tree, or European olive, as it is also called. Olives are still unripe fruits, while olives are already a ripe product.
Olives - a concept that is used only in Russia. The name of the tree from which the fruits are harvested is to blame - European olive (European olive, or olive tree).
How and where did olives come from
Eating these fruits began in ancient times. Initially, wild trees were a source of delicious and nutritious food, because the calorie content of olives is not as small as it seems. Thanks to their nutritional value and beneficial composition, the product has become indispensable. Very soon, people learned to extract oil from olives. On its basis, a huge number of medicinal drugs and tinctures were made. The popularity of a delicious fruit grew so rapidly that it began to grow in almost all countries of the Mediterranean.
Why are the fruits of the olive tree so useful?
Olives are a very healthy and nutritious product. Fruits contain a huge amount of fatty acids, rich in their beneficial properties. They differ not only from animal oils, but also from vegetable oils.
The calorie content of olives with seeds is quite high, it is 160 kcal per 100 grams. The high fat content of the fetus allows you to get high-quality oil from it. It does not have cholesterol, which is so harmful to the body. But the oil is rich in vitamins, fatty acids and fiber. Such a composition makes olives and olives simply indispensable for those who want to stay young, healthy and beautiful longer. Based on the fruits of the olive tree, a large number of face and body masks are made, because their vitamin composition is useful for the skin and maintaining its beauty.
Another unique property of olives and olives is their ability to improve the digestive tract. They stimulate appetite, improve the digestion of food, activate the intestines.
Olives are rarely sold in pure form. Basically, they are canned with various spices, additives and oils. Such a cocktail has even more beneficial properties and strengthens the whole body as a whole.
Subdivision into species
Depending on the color, these types of olives and olives are distinguished:
- Green - the fruits are large enough, collected after reaching a certain size, elastic. Color can vary from green to light yellow.
- Combined color - fruits collected not yet ripe, but already beginning to gain brightness. The tone can vary from pink to pink-red and brown.
- Black - fruits are fully ripe (these are called olives). Their color can be either red-black and blue-black, or purple and dark brown.
- Blackened by oxidation - fruits not yet ripened, harvested much ahead of time. Bitterness is removed from them with the help of additives, after which they are sterilized and canned. Often used to stuff various ingredients.
Species depending on the variety
Varieties of the first and highest groups include such varieties as Manzanilla, Sevilla fleshy, Azofairon and Morona.
- Manzanilla is a round oval shaped fruit. The product is perfect for both canning and oil production. Very often this variety is stuffed with various additives. Ripe fruits have a dark color reaching black.
- Gordal Sevillana (Sevilla fleshy) is a very famous variety. Fruits are green with white blotches. The size of the olives is not very large, the weight reaches 12 grams.
The product is lower in quality, but no less good, include the varieties: Hojiblanca, Cacerena and some others.
- Hojiblanca is a very popular variety. Most often going to fully ripened. The color of the fruit is blue-black. A feature of this type of olives is their softness. This complicates the harvest process, but does not affect its quality.
- Cacerena - resembles a variety of group A - manzanil. The color is a little lighter, grows in only a few provinces. Harvested only after the fruits have fully ripened and reached black color.
Other grades of olive fruit
One of the main characteristics of olives and olives is their caliber (the number of fruits in one kilogram of product). For example, the numbers 200/250 mean that a kilogram of olives contains at least 200 and not more than 250 pieces. Allocate calibers:
- small - 280/300 olives;
- average - 180/200 fruits;
- large - 60/80 olives.
Small-caliber fruits, as a rule, are used to make olive oil, but in Russia they are very popular in their natural form.
The use of the properties of olives in medicine
The useful properties of olives and olives were known to scientists of the ancient world. The calorie content of olives made it possible to make a lot of oil tinctures and oils from them. They treated almost all diseases.
To date, the composition of the fruits of the olive tree has been studied in more detail, and their use has become more focused. So, the healing properties of fruits are used to treat:
- Vascular diseases and high blood pressure (varicose veins, hemorrhoids).
- Diseases associated with metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus).
- Various nervous disorders (depression).
- Diseases of the kidneys and urinary system.
- To raise the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
- Joint diseases.
- Diseases of the optic nerve.
Cooking Application
The calorie content of olives and olives is high, and their taste is soft and memorable. This makes the fruit an indispensable ingredient for culinary dishes. They go well with vegetables, meat, fish. No wonder the cooks of the Mediterranean are very fond of adding olives to almost all of their dishes.
The fruits of the olive tree are perfect for salads, stews, casseroles, main and second courses. Often they are used for stuffing or simply added to alcoholic cocktails in order to emphasize the taste of the drink. Due to its high energy value (the calorie content of olives (one piece) is 15 calories) they saturate and complement any culinary creation. And adding olive oil can give a new taste to already old, proven dishes.
How to choose tasty and healthy fruits
In order to choose the right olives, first of all decide what dish or drink you are buying them for. The fruit should emphasize the taste. Depending on the ripeness and color saturation of the olive, its taste also changes.
In the store, it is better to give preference to proven products of well-known manufacturers. When choosing a product packaged in a glass jar, you can evaluate the quality and color saturation.
Olives are ripe olives. However, not all manufacturers use a high-quality and mature product. It is much easier to achieve dark blue and brown with stabilizers and dyes. When choosing a product, pay attention to the label. The product should not contain chemical ingredients (E579).
Quality Olives Requirements
- Large size.
- Pleasant taste.
- Approximately the same size olives in one jar.
- Adequate amount of pulp compared to the size of the bone.
- Simple separation of the pulp from the bone.
How many calories are in 100 gr. olives?
The fruits of the olive tree have great nutritional value and vitamin composition. The calorie content of pitted green olives is 113 kcal per 100 grams.
The bone of the fetus contains a huge amount of various fatty acids, their number is almost 60 percent. However, not all olives and olives are used for canning and oil processing. Allocate:
- oilseeds;
- canning varieties.
The first goes for the preparation of olive oil, and the second for canning. The calorie content of canned pitted olives is slightly higher - about 130 kcal per 100 grams.
Olives are the same olives, only ripened and gaining color. The nutritional value of olives (calories per 100 grams) is even higher and amounts to 155 kcal.
The ripe fruits of the olive tree have a blue-violet hue and contain even more oils. Olive oil is made from their bones . The calorie content of pitted olives is slightly less and is 130 kcal.
Like olives, olives are great for canning. The fruits are combined with various spices and additives, such as lemon, pepper and others. The taste of the product is even more intense and vibrant. Canned black olives (whose caloric value is higher than green ones) are more often in demand among buyers.
Product storage
In order for the fruits to stay fresh and tasty longer, olives are stored only in a dried and cool place. The storage temperature of the fruit should not be higher than the average room temperature. Canned goods are stored exclusively in the refrigerator for no more than fourteen days.
The harm of olives and olives
Fresh olive tree fruits are extremely healthy. You should be careful only with canned products and olive oil.
In our country, it was canned olives that gained great popularity. Despite the vitamin-rich composition, the use of the product should be moderate. In its composition, it contains a lot of salt, which can cause unpleasant symptoms (swelling, exacerbation of gastritis, diarrhea, cholecystitis).
Olive oil, despite all its benefits, can negatively affect the well-being of people suffering from symptoms of cholecystitis. It has strong choleretic properties.
Interesting Facts
- The olive tree branch has become a symbol of peace, goodness and victory.
- The olive branch is mentioned several times in biblical history:
- it was this tree that survived the Flood ;
- the sign of the end of the flood was the branch of the olive that the pigeon brought;
- in the olive grove, Christ read his last prayer before the execution.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, when choosing the ingredients for your lunch or dinner, do not forget to add the fruits of the olive tree to the menu. They will help you stay beautiful, healthy and slim!