Stuffed Manzanilla Olives--Raw?

stevio

These are one of my favorite foods. I am unsure about the brine and the processing to make them, and am wondering if they are in fact raw. I’ll be sad to give them up, but am willing to do it.

Zoe

what are they stuffed with?

stevio

Pimentos. From wikipedia:

hese sweet pimento peppers are also the familiar red stuffing found in prepared Spanish green olives. The pimento was originally cut into small pieces and hand stuffed into fresh green olives to complement the strong flavor of the olive. For ease of production pimento is often pureed and formed with the help of a natural seaweed gum (sodium alginate) into strips. This allows the olive stuffing to be completed by a machine and increases the availability of the olives, by lowering their cost of production.

These are the cheap green olives you find in the jars in every supermarket.

TomsMom

Almost all stuffed olives are pasteurized.

chicory

I think it is pretty easy to soak your own olives in brine… but where to get fresh olives?????

TomsMom

chicory, I found a couple of sites that sold fresh olives out of California! They ship them right to you. I can’t remember the names, but I’m sure you can find them. I begged room in my parents basement so I can set up crocks of my own salt-cured olives, and I plan to start this fall after harvest.

Zoe

green olives aren’t ripe, they go black as they ripen.