A few words about Kalamata Olives
The region of Kalamata in southwestern Peloponnese, home of the world famous 'Kalamata Olives' or 'Calamon Olives', the best olive type in the world, is the most associated Greek region with olive production. The region is characterized by mild winter and cool summer.
'Kalamata Olive', recognized for its almond shape and dark eggplant color, enjoys a reputation as a fruity and tasty treat. The Kalamata olive is a large, black olive with a smooth, meaty taste. It is often used as a table olive and is usually preserved in wine vinegar or olive oil. Its main quality criteria is the collection by hand when full maturation has taken place; when the color of the fruit is black. The fruit must be healthy, free from residues of other foreign bodies.
The bitterness and relative fermentation are due to sinking olives in brine (salt of 5 to 8 %) for at least two months. After two months the olives coming from the brine pass for 24 hours in clean water for rinsing and slight oxidation. It is packed in containers and each container is then filled with new brine (salt 6-8 %). In the end, 40 to 60 grams of oil are added in each container, that prevent the growth of unwanted microbes which create the known bad film on the surface of the brine.