Olive (full fat) Calories

Green full-fat olives are generally picked before they are fully ripe, while naturally black olives ripen longer. Some black olives are darkened during processing, so color alone does not tell you exactly how they were made.

Keep full-fat olives refrigerated in a clean, covered container, ideally submerged in their brine. Use a clean utensil to serve them, and follow any storage directions on the jar for the product you bought.

Full-fat olives are commonly cured in brine to remove their natural bitterness and preserve them. If they taste too salty, rinse a portion before serving; soaking can reduce more salt but may also soften their flavor.

Full-fat olives are botanically fruits: they develop from a flower and contain a pit. In cooking, their savory taste means people usually serve them as a vegetable, snack, or part of a savory dish.

No, avoid swallowing full-fat olive pits. They are hard and can pose a choking risk or damage teeth; take extra care when serving whole olives to children or anyone who may not notice the pit.

No, full-fat olives do not need rinsing for safety when they come from a properly stored jar. Rinse them if you want to remove some brine and surface salt, or if they were sold loose and need cleaning.

“Full-fat” refers to the olives’ naturally occurring fat, not necessarily fat added during processing. Check the ingredient list if you want to know whether the particular olives also contain added oil.

Yes, full-fat olives work well in cooked dishes such as pasta sauces, stews, and roasted vegetables. Add them toward the end when possible, since long cooking can make their briny flavor dominate.

Discard full-fat olives if you see fuzzy mold, notice an unpleasant odor, or find that their texture has become unusually soft. Keep them chilled after opening and use clean utensils to avoid contaminating the jar.