Olives are the cult fruit of all the Mediterranean countries, for many people of Southern Europe and North Africa, the olive tree is a symbol of health and longevity. The homeland of olives is Greece, where there is a legend that the olives gave people the goddess of wisdom and justice of Athena.
Of the fruits of the olive tree produce one of the most useful vegetable oils and various types of conservation of olives and olives. The benefit and harm of canned olives depends primarily on the method of processing fruits and the use of chemical ingredients in the cooking process.
Varieties of canned olives and olives
It is necessary to clarify that, contrary to the existing opinion, olives and olives are the fruits of one tree, which are collected at different stages of maturation. Green olives were removed from the branches in immature form, and black olives were allowed to mature in the tree. The size, color and intensity of coloring of olives depends on the type of tree, the degree of maturity and the method of conservation. The composition and properties of canned olives and olives are not significantly different and have very similar characteristics.
Unfortunately, not all black olives are the ripened fruit of an olive tree, many producers give a chemical treatment to green fruits, after which they produce a product outwardly and taste like ripe fruits. Only the benefits of such canned olives are highly questionable.
Fresh olives have a strong taste of bitterness, which was previously disposed of by prolonged soaking in sea water. With this treatment, vitamins, trace elements and the benefits of canned olives and olives are preserved as much as possible. Choosing olives and olives in the store, it is worth paying attention to the manufacturer. The products of well-known brands that use a slow type of soaking and natural methods of processing tend to cost more.
When buying black olives, there are several important factors to note:
- olives, ripe on a tree, have a larger size than unripe green olives;
- the appearance of black olives that have undergone natural processing differs from fruits after rapid chemical soaking and staining, natural olives do not have a smooth and glossy shiny skin, they are slightly worn and rather dull;
- the color of natural olives is not evenly black, at times some partially unripened brown blotches come across;
- if the label of canned olives indicates food supplement E 579 (iron gluconate), this means that they are painted artificially.
Useful properties of canned olives
The main thing is how canned olives are useful, this is their composition, which includes a lot of minerals and nutrients useful for health. With natural canning in the fruits of the olive tree, all of their natural wealth is preserved:
- saturated fatty acids, which possess stimulating, regenerating, restorative and health-improving effects, their greatest concentration is contained in olive oil, but in the canned fruit there is a sufficient amount of them;
- dietary fiber, beneficial for metabolism and the work of the digestive system;
- a rich composition of minerals - sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, calcium, copper;
- a wide range of B vitamins, vitamin E of youth, vitamins C, A, PP, choline, beta-carotene.
Caloric content of canned olives is 145 kcal, olives - 115 kcal. With proper use and right choice, these products can significantly fill the lack of useful substances in the body, strengthen immunity, bone and muscle tissue, improve digestion and enrich the diet .
The damage canned olives can bring to people who suffer from kidney disease and a tendency to swelling. This is due to the fact that they contain a fairly large amount of sodium salts. Nutritionists do not advise buying olives with different fillers, as the shelf life of such products and the safety of the vitamin-mineral composition are rather low.