That salad scarred me, and as a result, I spent most of my childhood and young adult life cursing the name of the olive.

The Castelvetrano olive is similar to the Frescatrano olive in its flavor because it has a similar curing process. Large and gorgeously green, Nocellara olives are the perfect choice for both olive lovers and those starting on their olive journey thanks to boasting a mild, sweet, buttery flavour, and meaty texture.

As an importer, we have witnessed a skyrocketing demand for Castelvetranos from food markets, online retailers, and restaurants. This process serves two important purposes: It quickly removes the olives’ natural bitter compounds while maintaining their crispness and meaty texture. Crisp, lush green Sicilian olives; this singular varietal serves as the strongest reminder that olives are indeed a fruit.

The flavor is sublime, mild in a way that feels more like a warm ray of sunshine or the first breath of fresh air after a day in the office than anything else. They are harvested young and unlike other olives, they’re not cured: they’re simply washed in lye and water for a few weeks until the bitter flavor is removed. Curing the Castelvetrano olive variety is not typical, as they are not fermented to produce the final product.

In a medium baking dish, stir together the olives, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 3 sprigs of oregano, chili flakes and salt.

Their sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent flavors are singularly complex, making them an essential tool in any home cook's arsenal. To save money, some producers use sticks or machines to shake the ripe fruit from the trees, or leave the olives on the trees until they are so ripe that they fall to the ground without any help. Olives are delicious on their own, but when you add a few herbs and a bit of olive oil, and then roast them, the results are spectacular and astounding! So let me be your guide and lead you right to the delicious recipes that will leave you coming back for seconds and thirds.They're grown in Liguria, in Italy's northwestern-most region, a few miles away from France's Niçoise olive region, and the olives are indeed similar.