No, you cannot eat green olives directly from the tree without curing them.
Green olives straight from the olive tree are extremely bitter and unpalatable due to a high concentration of a compound called oleuropein. This phenolic compound, while possessing antioxidant properties, makes the raw olives intensely bitter. For olives to be edible and enjoyable, they require a curing process to reduce or eliminate this bitterness.
Why Curing is Necessary
The curing process removes oleuropein, making the olives palatable. Several curing methods exist, including:
- Brine Curing: Soaking olives in a salt water solution over a period of weeks or months.
- Lye Curing: Using an alkaline solution (lye) to rapidly remove bitterness. (This method requires careful execution due to the caustic nature of lye.)
- Water Curing: Repeatedly soaking the olives in fresh water, changing the water frequently, over several weeks.
- Dry Curing: Packing olives in salt, which draws out the moisture and bitterness.
Edible Olives
Once cured, olives lose their bitterness and develop the characteristic flavor profiles we associate with different varieties and preparation methods. Curing not only makes olives edible but also enhances their texture and allows for the addition of flavors through herbs, spices, and other ingredients.
