Why Canβt You Buy *Fresh* Olives?
TLDRThe video script delves into the intriguing world of olives, debunking common misconceptions and revealing the chemistry behind their transformation from bitter, green fruits to the savory, black delicacies we enjoy. It explains that fresh olives are inedible due to their high oleuropein content, which is removed through soaking, fermentation, or a chemical process involving sodium hydroxide (lye). The latter method not only neutralizes the bitterness but also, when combined with oxygen, turns green olives blackβa discovery by California farmer Freda Ehmann. The black color can fade, so a fixative is added to maintain the appealing appearance. The video humorously addresses the topic, encouraging viewers to appreciate the role of chemistry in making olives palatable and inviting further questions in the comments for a potential Q&A session.
Takeaways
- π± Olives grow on trees and are harvested for their fruit, which is naturally very bitter due to a compound called oleuropein.
- π You won't find fresh, tree-ripened olives in grocery stores because they are inedible in their natural state due to their bitterness.
- π§ Olives are typically preserved in a salty brine or soaked in water to reduce their bitterness, a process that can take weeks.
- βοΈ A chemical method involves using sodium hydroxide (lye) to speed up the breakdown of oleuropein into less bitter compounds.
- πΏ After the lye treatment, olives are thoroughly rinsed to ensure no caustic lye remains before they are packed for consumption.
- π€ Black olives start as green and are turned black through a process that involves exposure to oxygen during the lye treatment.
- π The presence of oxygen during the lye treatment causes further chemical reactions that create dark brown or black pigments in the olives.
- π The color-changing compounds in black olives are not stable and can degrade over time, leading to an unappealing appearance.
- π§ Ferrous gluconate is added as a fixative to stabilize the color of black olives and prevent them from discoloring.
- πΊπΈ The process of turning green olives black is known as the Ripe Olive style or California-Style, pioneered by a California farmer named Freda Ehmann.
- π Black olives are a popular topping for pizza and are enjoyed by many for their unique flavor, despite their processing from green to black.
- π€ If you prefer your olives less processed and closer to their natural state, look for varieties that have been cured more gently, as oxygen can also affect the flavor compounds.
Q & A
Do olives grow on trees?
-Yes, olives grow on the Olea europaea tree.
Why are fresh, tree-ripened olives not commonly found in grocery stores?
-Fresh olives contain a high amount of a bitter compound called oleuropein, which makes them taste terrible and requires processing to be palatable.
Why are olives typically found in a salty brine?
-Soaking olives in a salt brine is one of the methods used to leach away the bitter oleuropein compound, making the olives more palatable.
What is the chemical name for lye and what is it commonly used for?
-The chemical name for lye is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and it is commonly used in soap making.
How does sodium hydroxide (lye) affect the taste of olives?
-Sodium hydroxide speeds up the chemical breakdown of oleuropein into less bitter compounds like hydroxytyrosol, improving the taste of olives.
Why are black olives actually green?
-Black olives are actually green when fresh. They turn black through a process that involves exposure to oxygen during the lye treatment, which causes further chemical reactions that create dark pigments.
Who is credited with the process that turns green olives black?
-A California farmer named Freda Ehmann is credited with developing the process that not only preserves olives and improves their taste but also turns them black.
What is the purpose of adding ferrous gluconate to the olive processing?
-Ferrous gluconate is added as a fixative to prevent the olives from turning an unappetizing mottled look due to the degradation of the chemicals that create the dark pigments.
What is the Ripe Olive style or California-Style of olive processing?
-The Ripe Olive style, or California-Style, is a processing method that involves using lye to treat olives, which can result in the olives turning black if oxygen is present during the treatment.
Why do some olives remain green after the lye treatment?
-If no oxygen is present during the lye treatment, the color-changing reactions do not occur, and the olives remain green.
How does oxygen affect the flavor of olives?
-Oxygen can change a lot of the flavor compounds in olives, which is why the more gently cured olives have a different taste compared to the black ones that have undergone the color-changing reactions in the presence of oxygen.
What is the final advice given to those who are not fond of olives?
-If someone does not like olives, the advice is to pass them on to people who do enjoy them.
Outlines
π« The Mysteries of Olive Processing
This paragraph reveals the reason why fresh, tree-ripened olives are not commonly found in grocery stores. It explains the bitterness of fresh olives due to a compound called oleuropein and how it makes up to 14% of the olive's dry weight. The text outlines three methods to reduce the bitterness: soaking in water, fermenting in salt brine, and a chemical shortcut using sodium hydroxide (lye). The lye treatment not only removes the bitterness but also has a secondary effect on the color of the olives, which is further explained in the following paragraphs.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Olives
π‘Oleuropein
π‘Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
π‘Ferrous Gluconate
π‘Ripe Olive Style (California-Style)
π‘Hydroxytyrosol
π‘Brine
π‘Color Change
π‘Glycoxidation
π‘Athena
π‘Olive Oil
Highlights
Olives grow on trees, but fresh, tree-ripened olives are rarely found in grocery stores due to their bitter taste.
Fresh olives contain a high amount (up to 14% dry weight) of a bitter compound called oleuropein.
There are three main methods to remove oleuropein and improve olive taste: soaking in water, fermenting in salt brine, and a chemical shortcut using sodium hydroxide (lye).
Soaking olives in sodium hydroxide speeds up the breakdown of oleuropein into less bitter compounds like hydroxytyrosol.
The lye treatment takes about a week, after which the olives are thoroughly rinsed to remove any residual lye.
Canned olives are packed in a salt brine to help preserve them before shipping.
The lye treatment can also cause green olives to turn black through exposure to oxygen during the process.
A California farmer named Freda Ehmann developed a method in the late 1800s to turn green olives black by mixing air into the lye treatment.
The black color is due to further chemical reactions that create dark brown or black pigments when oxygen is present.
The black color can fade over time, so a fixative called ferrous gluconate is added to maintain the shiny uniform black appearance.
This processing method, known as Ripe Olive style or California-Style, does not apply to all lye-treated olives.
If no oxygen is present during the lye treatment, the olives do not turn black and remain green.
The presence of oxygen can also affect the flavor compounds in the olives, making black olives taste different from more gently cured ones.
Despite the changes in color and flavor, black olives are still popular toppings on pizza.
The video encourages viewers to appreciate the role of chemistry in making olives palatable for consumption.
For those who dislike olives, the video suggests passing them on to others who enjoy them.
The video offers to answer viewer questions about olives in an upcoming Q&A session.
Transcripts
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