10 things you didn’t know about olives

There are few crops on earth that have such a long and colourful history. With fossil records indicating that olives have been around for up to 40 million years in the Mediterranean basin, this ancient tree has influenced everything from trade to religion. 

Read on for 10 fun facts about the not-so-humble olive. 

1. Etymology: The word ‘oil’ originally meant olive oil, such was the ubiquity of this product in the ancient world.

2. Ancient groves: Olive trees have been in cultivation for around 7,000 years and edible table olives have been around since the Bronze Age (3150 - 1200 BC). The earliest evidence of cultivation was found at the archaeological site of Teleilat el Ghassul in modern day Jordan. 

3. UNESCO-listed: The oldest living olive trees are around 2,000 years old and are located in Croatia, Israel, Malta and Spain. A town in Lebanon claims to have 4,000 year old trees but this is yet to be scientifically proven. The average lifespan of an olive tree is around 500 years.

4. Harvest season: Olives are harvested in autumn and winter. Green olives are fully grown in size but have yet to ripen. Black or purple olives have ripened and are subsequently harvested later.

5. Biblical: The olive tree is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible when a dove brings Noah an olive branch to signify that the flood is over. Offering an olive branch has subsequently become a global symbol of peace.

6. Sacred: Olive oil was burnt in the sacred lamps of ancient Greek temples and was the ‘eternal flame’ of the original Olympic games. Winners in the games were given olive wreaths to wear on their heads as a sign of victory.

7. Processing: Most olives need to be fermented and cured with salt and/or lye to remove the bitter compound oleuropein. However, there are some wild species of olives where the fruit will ripen and fall off the tree. Once this has happened, the olives are palatable without further processing (very rare!). Olive oil is made by grinding the olives into a paste and then pressing the paste through multiple fine sieves. The liquid ‘juice’ runs off and the watery fluid sinks to the bottom and the oil floats. These two elements are separated and the oil from the first pressing is termed ‘extra virgin’.

8. Health benefits: Olive oil is a good source of Vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant) and Vitamin K (a micronutrient that plays a critical role in blood clotting). Olive oil is proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels making it a ‘heart healthy’ food stuff. 

9. Not a ‘vegetable’ oil: Olives are a type of fruit called a drupe. Other drupes include stone fruit such as peaches, cherries and apricots, as well as nuts like walnuts, pecans and almonds. 

10. Prolific: A single olive tree can produce up to 75 litres of oil a year!