Table olives

Olive fruits have a round to ovoid shape, and their weight ranges from 0.5 to 20 g, with most falling within the range of 2–8 g. Their characteristic strong bitter taste, due to the presence of oleuropein, decreases with fruit ripening, as the peel colour changes from green to yellow, purple and finally black. The principal chemical components of olive fruit pulp are water (60–75%), lipids (10–25%), reducing sugars (2–5%) and phenols (1–3%). Morover, olives have significant amounts of sterols and flavonoids such as tocopherols, carotenoids and minerals. Table olives have important nutritional value due to their richness in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and phenolic compounds.

In this section

1.4.1. Fruit size, shape and flesh to stone ratio

1.4.2. Fruit detachment force

1.4.3. Bruising