18 Jun

Uses Of Olives

While the primary original use of olive oil was most likely as a source of dietary fat, other uses for the oil quickly developed. For instance, the oil was also used to make soaps, as a utility oil for lamps and the lubrication of machinery. Olive oil was also used for medicinal, hygiene, and religious reasons. As in ancient civilizations, olive oil continues to be seen as having healing properties. Today, olives are primarily cultivated for cooking oil.

The list of culinary uses for Olives and Olive oil is endless and any Mediterranean recipe book will provide a good selection of appetizing dishes. Only olive oil, among all cooking oils, has enough flavor to make it a satisfying replacement for butter and margarine. Olive oil also can be a healthier alternative to butter, margarine, and polyunsaturated oils because it contains mostly monounsaturated fat or “good fat”.

Olive oil can be used to fry, deep fry, sauté, season, bake and roast. It may seem pricey to use it to fry foods, but olive oil is four to five times more heat resistant than vegetable oils. That means you can reuse it to fry foods many more times before the oil begins to break down. It can be used in stews, pastas and on salads. When replacing pourable oils with olive oil, simply replace the amount of oil specified in the recipe with the same amount of olive oil. Use the handy conversion chart below to help make the tasty switch from butter and margarine.

Butter/Margarine Olive Oil
1 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon 2 1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons 1 1/2 tablespoon
1/4 cup 3 tablespoons
1/3 cup 1/4 cup
1/2 cup 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
2/3 cup 1/2 cup
3/4 cup 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
1 cup 3/4 cup

Like olive oil, the uses for table olives in dishes are endless. Table olives are often eaten simply pickled in brine or stuffed with fillings. Thousands of tonnes of olives are consumed each year on pizzas. There are many dozens of table olive varieties, with each variety having its own unique size, shape and taste. Olives are used in anything from baked dishes to martinis.

Olive Leaf Extract is, as the name implies, derived from the leaves of the olive tree. It is a source of many phytochemicals, primarily oleuropein 20%, which enzymes break down into elenolic acid. Olive Leaf Extract is an antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic substance. Today is widely available from pharmacies, health food stores and retail outlets, and is often taken as a pill or tablet.

This is the waste product usually obtained from olive oil processing plants. It is made of the crushed seeds and solid parts of the olive fruit which is discarded in oil production. Once dried, it makes an excellent burning fuel for furnaces. It is often reused in olive processing plants as fuel to heat water that is used in oil production.

Also known as Italian Olivewood. Uses: Small turnings, carvings, and inlay work. It has the natural characteristics of a straight grain with a fine texture and the color varies in each piece – alternating white and dark brown streaks. It has good durability and workability, however its finishing qualities are not as good as some of the woods which are more commonly used in the making of furniture. It is also expensive to buy compared to commercially harvested woods.

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