Creating New Kitchens

Stuffed or marinated, sliced or eaten whole, table olives are not only gourmet delights but are choice health foods as well. Green and black olives have become popular after a number of studies link its nutritional content with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes..

Olive fruits

Considered as fruits, olives are round and small, about the size of a grape. While olives are considered fruits, these are not immediately edible upon picking and must be brined for some time before they can be eaten as green or black olives.. The green ones are slightly under-ripe while the black ones are already ripe.

How selected

Olive production is a meticulous process starting with the selection of the fruits. Only those that are mature are picked which is often determined by a squeeze test to check for oil secretion at the stem end. The fruit may be subjected to a second and more difficult test by cutting around the fruit and then twisting it apart to check for a free stone effect.. This is done by making an incision around the fruit and twisting them apart to see if the stone is easily released.

Outer appearance

The best producers see to it that they pick only the fruits that are not bruised or damaged, preferably by hand because machines can ruin the olives.

Production

Olives grow well in countries that are blessed with sub tropical climates such as the Mediterranean, parts of Australia and the USA. Hundreds of varieties exist but not all are processed for eating as table olives.

After picking the fruits, these are immediately washed and submerged in cool water to remove the bitter principles. The cleaned olives are then brined in a salt water solution to cure the fruits and debitter them further.

The brining method is the key to the olive’s taste. There have been reports that European sources use lye or caustic soda, a chemical that can cause severe skin burns, for curing the fruits.. Australian olive producers adhere to strict standards of production set by the industry association and avoid debittering with caustic soda..

Some producers infuse additional flavour by marinating the fruits in lemon, vinegar and other spices shortly before selling them.. The pitted table olives are often stuffed with red peppers, pearl onions, garlic and other spices for an interesting taste. Green or black, always look for fruits that are crisp, neither woody nor soft, when eaten.

Recall your most recent Christmas parties? That may be a silly question, you were probably so intoxicated that you couldn’t remember what your own name was. Allow me to rephrase the question. Was it honestly memorable? For most of you I would guess that the resounding answer is no. Whether you celebrated with your colleagues in the office and ended up photocopying all means of unmentionable body parts, or simply passed out as you drank to numb the boredom in a faceless rented hotel meeting suite, your last Christmas do was probably one to forget.

Maybe you feel as though you deserve more? 2010 has been a tough year with worries about the recession and unemployment, UK workers should really be hounding their employers to pull out all the stops this festive season. A great way to make your Noel-based knees-up go off with a bang is to let an outside catering firm take the burden of preparing the food and organizing the venue.

Imagine restaurant standard food served however you want. Whether you require a formal sit down meal, a finger buffet or even something more extravagant like a hog roast, this new breed of private catering companies can pander to your every whim. Food is not usually top of the agenda for most Christmas party goers but most outside caterers now put as much effort into their array of exciting beers, wines and cocktails as they do their grub.

Many caterers now even offer parties with a distinct theme.  The only limit is your imagination! Want a Christmas do with a super-hero dress code accompanied with a Spanish tapas style buffet? Eugene from accounts may not be too happy about it, but outside caterers can make it happen. Make sure you have a break from the monotomous standard xmas fare get your company’s HR department to look into outside catering. Yule be happy you did!