Olives & Antipasti

Organic olives and antipasti from Biona, Seggiano, Mr Organic and Organico.

Green and black olives, pitted and whole, in brine and oil; artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, roasted peppers and grilled aubergine.

A genuinely ripe black olive is brownish, wrinkled and unevenly coloured. Jet black, uniformly glossy olives are usually green olives that have been oxidised and treated with ferrous gluconate to blacken them in a matter of hours rather than cured for months. The ingredients list gives it away.

Olives cured slowly in brine taste of olive; ones treated with lye taste of very little.