Olive — the tree known to mankind from time immemorial. It is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. Awarded with the wreaths made of its branches winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Its branch — the first plant which was brought by a pigeon I Ache after the Great flood.
Though the homeland of the Olive European is the Mediterranean, she took root both in America, and in Africa. Fruits and oil are exported for the whole world. Living on Alaska, in Iceland or in the north of the Eurasian continent, it is possible to enjoy without effort original dishes of the Mediterranean kitchen which cannot just be presented without olives or olive oil.
Where and as grow
The homeland of an olive is the southeast Mediterranean. Began to cultivate a tree for the first time in Ancient Greece from where and its distribution on the world went. The tree begins to fructify approximately in two decades after a vskhod. The tree fruit in botanical classification is called stone fruit.
The olive is known as a plant long-liver. Time of life of some separate trees is estimated even not centuries.
Residents of modern Israel claim that in Gethsemane — the place where they captivated Jesus, eight olives which fructified already in those far times still grow. Kommersant
In the Nikitsky botanical garden there is an olive tree which age of 2000.
Whether you know? Fruits of an olive tree of black color are called olives only in the territory of the former Soviet Union. In the rest of the world stone fruit of various degree of a maturity is called olive, adding specification — color.
The olive tree blossoms every two years. Depending on specific climatic conditions the tree blossoms since the beginning of May until the end of June. In 120-150 days after blossoming, fruits ripen.
Difference between olives and olives
Difference per se between olive and olive does not exist. It is possible to tell that olives are the fruits of an olive tree which reached full degree of a maturity.
To the contrary, olives are not up to the end ripened olives. The fruit of green color (olive) has more elastic structure, but contains less oil.
Change color at preservation only of grade olive Chalkidiki. Other grades during the processing and preservation do not change color. It is necessary to understand that black color of olive familiar to us is gained as a result of processing by preservatives before they go to banks.
Those olives which ripen on a tree independently have various shades — from brown to violet, almost black.
As do olives
From all harvest of the olives picked in the world make:
- oil — 90% of a harvest;
- olives and olives marinated — 10%.
The fresh olive only broken from a tree has not really pleasant, bitterish taste. Therefore they are eaten only in a tinned look.
If before you the jar of black olives without stone, then is the oxidized olives — black oxidized olives. The fruit of such grade was built green, but changed color in the course of preparation, salting and preservation. By means of a caustic natr of olive save from bitterness, at the same time there is an oxygenating — enrichment with oxygen.
The stone fruit which ripened on a tree in the natural way can be various color, even red. At such olives the stone at preservation is not taken. Their pulp too gentle.
Important! The olives which are grown up in Greece salt for a period of half a year about one year therefore they have sharp taste. In Spain the fruits collect green, process alkali and receive the oxidized olives.
Types of olives
All grades of olives can be divided into three main categories:
- olive — from such fruits press olive oil;
- universal — are suitable both for consumption, and for receiving oil;
- dining rooms (canning) — this type of olives use for conservation, pickling and consumption.
In turn, tinned olives can be:
- Whole is the whole fruits with a stone;
- Pitted is olives without stone;
- Cracked is davleny;
- Sliced is cut;
- Stuffed — stuffed with various fillers.
Depending on color and time of collecting fruits share on:
- green and light yellow — collecting is made before the maturing;
- combined (from slightly red to brown) — collect before full maturing;
- black — collect completely mature fruits;
- black oxidized — collect immature, gain black color after chemical treatment.
One more characteristic of olives — caliber, or an indicator of size of fruits.
According to the adopted standards of olive happen:
- especially large — from 70 to 110 pieces in 1 kg;
- large — from 111 to 160 respectively;
- averages — from 161 to 260;
- small — from 261 to 380 pieces.
Also distinguish grades of olives depending on the place of their cultivation.
Structure and power value
Fruits of an olive tree contain such substances in the structure:
- water: olives of 60-80%; olives of 50-70%;
- fat, respectively: 6-30%; 10-29%;
- sugar: 2-6%; 0%;
- protein: 1-3%; 1-1.5%;
- cellulose: 1-4%; 1.4-2.1%;
- ash-content: 0.6-1%; 4.2-5.5%.
Minerals which are contained in 100 g of olives:
- sodium — 740 mg;
- potassium — 9 mg;
- calcium — 85 mg;
- copper — 250 mkg;
- iron — 3.2 mg;
- magnesium — 4 mg;
- manganese — 20 mkg;
- phosphorus — 3 mg;
- selenium — 1 mkg;
- zinc — 0.21 mg.
Green fruits without stone have the caloric content of 113 kcal / 100. The stone contains a set of various fatty acids. More than a half of all chemical composition of a stone falls to their share.
Whether you know? The olive tree got to the New World in 1560 where with success it is grown up to this day, generally in the territory of Peru and in Mexico.
Caloric content of tinned olives without stone is about 130 kcal. The power value of the fruit which reached the maturity on a tree — 155 kcal.
And here the same mature olives, but without stone have a little smaller caloric content — 130 kcal.
Useful properties
- The antioxidants which are contained in fruits of an olive tree interfere with oxidation of fat and cholesterol, reducing thereby risk of cardiovascular diseases, including a heart attack.
Peas, almonds, seaweed of a chuk, cashew, red cabbage, dried apricots can reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- The fatty acids which are available as a part of olives — monounsaturated. Such fats have property to split intracellular fat that helps to get rid of excess weight.
- Daily consumption of fruits of an olive tree helps to satisfy quicker feeling of hunger, without overeating at the same time.
- Antioxidants and vitamin E considerably reduce negative action of free radicals, neutralizing oxidizing processes in an organism. As a result considerably the probability of development of oncological processes falls.
- Anti-inflammatory substances and antioxidants are capable to have the anesthetizing effect. The reason in the oleokantal — substance which effect is similar to effect of nonsteroid analgetics. 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the action are similar to action of a tablet of Nurofen.
Possesses the easy anesthetizing action bee zabrus, a peppermint, almonds, essential oil of a melissa, dyagil.
- The vitamin E which is contained in fruits perfectly protects, nourishes and recovers skin and hair.
- Olive oil is a natural blocker of gistaminny receptors, reduces allergic reactions of an organism. Oil is applied at antiallergichesy diets. Anti-inflammatory properties allow to increase blood supply and to facilitate breath at asthma.
- Well influence a GIT. 250 g of olives contain 1/6 part of amount of the cellulose necessary for the correct vermicular movement of intestines. The same cellulose creates favorable conditions for development and activity of the necessary microflora.
- The iron which is contained in olives is necessary for our organism for oxygen exchange. And all processes of our activity, as we know, are connected with oxygen.
- Vitamin A interferes with formation of age degenerative changes in our eyes. The jar of olives (300 ml) contains the tenth part of necessary daily norm of Retinolum (vitamin A).
- Glutathione has salutary effect on immunity, interferes with hit of toxins in a cage, increases quality of lymphocytes.
- Linoleic acid has the healing effect, helps regeneration of an integument.
The healing action dogrose oil, oats, sea-buckthorn oil, avocado oil, a sabelnik marsh, blackberry possess.
Cautions, harmful properties
There are some restrictions at consumption of olives. One of them — cholecystitis and other manifestations of cholelithiasis.
Important! Bark of an olive tree is applied instead of cinchona, the most ancient malaria medicine, and infusion of leaves normalizes arterial blood pressure and breath.
High content of fats in olives can have laxative effect. Well and, of course, it is not necessary to be fond of olives at individual intolerance and allergic reactions. Apparently, it is not enough restrictions and contraindications.
The person cultivates an olive already long ago, eats its fruits, presses oil. In the countries located on east and northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea for several millennia there was some kind of cult of honoring of an olive tree. There the relation to an olive is similar to our relation to bread.
And though bread on our tables is irreplaceable and more habitual, give and we will be acquainted with the culture of ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece, sometimes indulging ourselves fruits of a noble olive.