Aceituna

Fresh olives contain intensely bitter compounds, so they are cured in brine, water or dry salt before eating. Curing can take days to months, and the method shapes their saltiness and texture.

Lay an olive on a chopping board and press it gently with the flat side of a knife until it cracks; the stone should then slip out. For a neat shape, use a cherry or olive pitter.

Keep them in the fridge, covered by their brine, in a clean, tightly sealed container. Use a clean fork to take them out, and follow the jar’s use-by guidance.

You can cook them: add pitted olives to tomato sauces, stews or tray-bakes for the last 10–15 minutes so they flavour the dish without turning overly soft. For a punchier taste, scatter them over the finished dish.

They are a classic addition to Greek salad, tapenade and puttanesca sauce, and pair especially well with tomatoes, garlic, capers and anchovies. Chopped olives also bring a salty bite to savoury breads and pasta salads.

For a similar salty, briny taste, use capers or chopped pickled gherkins; use less, as both can be sharper than olives. In a salad where you mainly want a firm, savoury bite, try diced roasted aubergine.

No: they are the same fruit, usually picked at different stages of ripeness or processed in different ways. Green olives are generally firmer and sharper, while ripe black olives tend to be softer and milder.

Olives provide fibre, with 4.8 g per 100 g. A 30 g handful provides 36 kcal and 3.8 g of fat.