Ten fun facts about Olives

Fact 1
Olives are usually harvested in the green to purple stage, while canned black olives contain chemicals that artificially turn them black.

Fact 2
They have been cultivated for at least 5,000 to 6,000 years, and as far back as 3,000 B.C., grown commercially in Crete.

Fact 3
Though olives are not native to the Americas, there are approximately 865 million olive trees in the world today, mostly in the Mediterranean countries.

Fact 4
While olive oil is used in religious ceremonies, the olive has been considered a symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, purity and power.

Fact 5
Olives that are eaten raw are usually bitter, so they are cured and fermented to remove the bitter compound.

Fact 6
Olive trees thrive with hot weather and sun, but can tolerate droughts because they have an extensive root system.

Fact 7
The most detrimental pest to the fruit is the olive fruit fly.

Fact 8
At least 90% of olives are used in the production of olive oil.

Fact 9
Since it is healthier than vegetable oils, throughout the world people consume at least 2.25 million liters of olive oil a year.

Fact 10
The life span of an olive tree is 300 to 600 years, but some of the trees have lived as long as 2,000 years.