![]() ![]() Olive oil is pressed from the fresh-picked fruit of the olive tree. Photo by Iliana | SXC.
Updated June 2018 |
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Oils, Vinegars & Salad DressingsOlive Oil & Olives GlossaryPage 4: Terms With F & G
This is Page 4 of the Olive Oil & Olives Glossary. If you think we should consider terms or definitions than those we have provided, use the Contact Us links on this page. Also read our article, Flavors and Aromas of Olive Oil. Visit our collection of 60+ food glossaries to learn more about other food products. You can click on the letter of the alphabet in the bar below to get to a term a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z This glossary is protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or part. FLAVORED OLIVE OIL Photo by David Lee | SXC. FINO OLIVE OILA blend of extra virgin and virgin oils (fino is Italian for “fine”). FIRST PRESSIOOC Definition: First press is no longer an official definition for olive oil. A century ago, oil was pressed in screw or hydraulic presses. The paste was subjected to increasingly high pressures with subsequent degradation in the flavor of the oil. Today the vast majority of oil is made in continuous centrifugal presses. There is no second pressing. FRANTOIO OLIVE Frantoio olive trees can be purchased at
FRESHNESSFor the freshest oil possible, know when your olives are picked. For example, in Italy, olives are picked in most regions beginning from mid-October through early November; with some cultivars the picking can continue into December and January. Olives are pressed within 24 to 48 hours after harvest, and bottled soon afterwards. So, a retailer should receive the new harvest oil’s in January or February. Look for it then. Oil from olives harvested the southern hemisphere (e.g. Australia) will arrive in the summer. FRUITThe olive is the fruit of the olive tree. Not all tree fruits are sweet, nor are they immediately edible when picked ripe from the tree. Green or ripe, olives must be brined or cured before they are edible. GAETA or GYETA OLIVEThis small, oval Italian olive has violet-purple flesh. Gaeta olives can be salt cured or brine cured; the salt-cured olives have wrinkled flesh and the brine-cured olives are smooth-fleshed. The olive is meaty, oily, and intense, with a somewhat tart to salty flavor. It is used in slow-cooked stews and braised dishes, fish dishes, salads, pasta and tapenade. As a table olive, it pairs well with hearty Zinfandels. GORDAL OLIVEAnother name for the Sevillano olive. GREEK OLIVESThe most popular Greek varieties include the Kalamata and the Koroneiki. Though strong tasting, Greek olives are not treated with lye. They are packed in dry salt, or pickled in brine for 6 to 12 months, where they undergo a process of lactic fermentation before they are packed in fresh brine. GREEN OLIVESGreen olives are obtained from olives harvested during the ripening cycle when they have reached normal size, but prior to color change. They are usually hand-picked when there is a slight change in hue from leaf-green to a slightly yellowish green and Photo of green olives by Steve Woods | SXC. GRADES OF OLIVEOlives are graded into sizes based on either diameter (American standards) or number per kilo or pound (international standards). There are more than 15 grades, from Sub Petite (181 to 220 olives per pound) to Super Mammoth (41-45 olives per pound). In-between are Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, Jumbo, Extra Jumbo, Giant, Colossal, Super Colossal, Mammoth and other designations that will eternally puzzle olive buyers until labeling includes the number of olives per pound so consumers know the difference among Extra Jumbo, Giant, Colossal, Mammoth, etc. Continue To Next Page: Terms With H To K
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Last Updated May 2018
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