A.K.A

Mission or California olives.

What is it?

In general, black olives can refer to any ripe variety of olives, such as kalamata or nicoise. (Unripe olives are green.) However, black olive often refers to the large meaty olives usually sold canned. Their lye curing process leaves them with a very mild to bland flavor not desired for most recipes.

Don’t have it?

Try using Kalamata or other black olives from your grocery store’s deli section. You may prefer the flavor to the canned ones.

How to store:

Canned olives will keep indefinitely unopened. Refrigerate after opening.

Recipes

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  Antipasto Salad

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  Orange, Onion, and Olive Focaccia

  Sweet, tangy, and salty, this focaccia is hard to stop eating. Depending on the size of your oranges, you may not use all of them. And though it may look…

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  Rigatoni with Roasted Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Olives

  Tender roasted artichokes and crispy panko add nutty, toasted flavors to a pasta brimming with briny olives and sweet sun-dried tomatoes.

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  Chicken Horiataki Salad with Tzatziki

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  Artichoke-Olive Hummus

  This fluffy dip has a creamy, nutty flavor unlike anything you’ll find in a grocery store. Serve with pita, cucumbers, peppers, or carrots.

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  Spice-Rubbed Steaks with Grilled Gazpacho Sauce

  Reminiscent of the classic chilled Spanish soup, this spicy, smoky, tangy sauce is also delicious with grilled chicken breasts or pork chops.

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  Warm Spiced Olives

  This recipe gives you two hors d’oeuvres in one—fragrant spiced olives and an infused oil that’s perfect for dipping crusty bread.

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  Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Black Olive Purée

  This herb-and-garlic-rubbed lamb is super easy to make yet so full of flavor, especially when paired with a tangy olive spread and a squeeze of lemon. If you don’t have…