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Raw olives aren't edible. They are bitter and taste terrible if they're not processed in brine. (Believe me--we had olive trees when I was a kid, and I tried them. In fact, I wonder how the ancients figured out how to make them taste good. If you just sampled a fresh olive once, you would throw it far away from you and never try that again. But olives have been processed and eaten for millennia.)
So yes, they are all soaked in brine and sold in a salty solution--they don't fare well when they dry out. I've heard that you can drain off the brine at home and replace it with olive oil, but I have not tried this.
All olives have pits which are either still in the olive when you buy it, or have been cut out. Pitless olives have not been developed.
I'd just like to add, that I personally like the ones with the pits best. The fruit next to the pit is the sweetest, most tender, imho. Kalamata olives are top-notch. Try them. I also like the bright green Italian Castelvetrano olives, a really nice taste. Not at all a taste like the duller colored green olives.
Try all kinds, they are all going to have a different flavor, and see what you end up liking
edit: Went in kitchen and looked up one of the the brands I have right now called 'Keepos'
They are imported from Greece, and marinated in sunflower oil and rubbed with Greek spices. They come in large green, and black. You can buy the brand in all black olives per container, or mixed with some green. Delicious. They do have sea salt added, but they are not 'salty tasting,' at least to me. Not anything close to the ones in the cans.
One of your local grocery stores should have an 'olive bar' with several different types of both black and green to choose from.
Get a variety and see which ones you prefer. We had a Greek market in Pensacola that sold the best olives I have ever eaten.
Try an Italian market for a variety of olives either jarred or in the deli refrigerated case. One of my favorites are the black cured that are soaked in olive oil. Very flavorful. I've seen them sold both with and without the pits. Pair them with a good Italian bread and cheese.
Olive bars are wonderful! They may be a bit pricey, but a great way to taste a little of everything.
I'd like to add more olives to my meals, especially black. I've only ever bought canned soaked in brine---they have so much sodium.
Are there certain times of year I can buy, like, raw real olives?
Do they all come soaked in a solution?
Do they all have a pit that needs to be squeezed or cut out?
Yes, they are high in sodium, but how many olives will you eat in a salad? Three? It's not a big deal, imho.
I buy olives from an olive bar , usually at whole foods or zabars. If they're too salty, then I'll soak them in water.
Pitted/not pitted: depends on what I'm using them for. If I want to make tapanade, or cook them with chicken, I buy without pits, because it's easier. If I'm just going to nibble or add to salad, then I buy with pits - like previous posters I prefer the ones with pits
I'd like to add more olives to my meals, especially black. I've only ever bought canned soaked in brine---they have so much sodium.
Are there certain times of year I can buy, like, raw real olives?
Do they all come soaked in a solution?
Do they all have a pit that needs to be squeezed or cut out?
About ten years ago, I stopped in a local fresh market in Chicagoland and saw raw olives in the produce case. Being the adventurous soul, I bought a couple dozen. I washed one off and popped it in my mouth. I can honestly say that it was the most bitter thing that I have ever popped in my mouth. It was like biting into the hull of a black walnut which is equally awful.
Since none of my foodie friends had cured olives,I called one of my friends who has a radio show on food in Los Angeles and she was graceful enough to provide me with a publication from California Extension Board as to how to cure olives. It was a dozen pages and mentioned lye baths, heavy rubber gloves, goggles, and other safety devices. Needless to say, I did not cure any olives and buy them already cured at the local Mediterranean grocery store.
OP, if you do buy olives with pits you can also get a handy olive pitter. Works equally well with cherries.
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