Olives – Did you know?

  • Olives are rich source of oils, minerals and vitamins A, E, K and B.
  • Olive trees can live from 300 to 600 years.
  • The olive flower is white and only flowers after four years.
  • An olive trees first harvest can be expected after 15 years.
  • People in Turkey are the largest consumers of table olives in the world.
  • There are 500 million olive trees in Europe
  • Did you know 16 olives counts as one of your 5-a-day?
  • Olive trees are grown not from seeds, but rather from cut roots or branches buried in the soil and allowed to root, or grafted onto other trees.
  • The olive is technically a “drupe,” a fruit with a single large stone inside. (Yes, olives are fruits, not veggies.)
  • The oldest certified olive tree is more than 2000 years old
  • Out of all harvested olives, 90% will be turned into oil, and only 10% will be used as table olives
  • Olives are a remarkable source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.
  • Three-quarters of the fat found in olives is oleic acid; a type of healthy monounsaturated fat. Olives also contain essential omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.
  • It takes 7 litres of olives for the production of one litre of oil.