Olives

[Dancergirl]

Dh and I both hate them so I never buy them.

9 year old dd has asked to try them, what's the best sort to buy? She's a very reluctant veg eater so I'm hoping for success. But they're a fruit right?

And can you buy them without the stone?

Does she like strong flavours like garlic and chilli? I would buy a little pot of them prepared. They normally come without stones then and they taste nicer IMO when they are smothered in stuff. I like them plain too though. You can get a pot of mixed ones and they are fun to eat with cocktail sticks.

Something like this:

www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Olives/Tesco_Mixed_Olives_with_Garlic_And_Chilli_140g.html?TrackingCode=121.AXuRCQNZgUOELVkJ5PxXkA

Thanks, she quite likes the taste of chilli so might like those!

Do green and black olives taste very different?

Do you have a lidl? They do fresh olives in the chilled section for 50p- get a green and black pit and let her try. Personally I'd let her try them without dressings/stuffings/marinades because I spent most of my life disliking olives only to find out that it's the marinaded type I dislike. Can eat my own body weight in undressed olives.

I find the black olives more popular with my Dc- green are sharper and saltier.

If you have a local deli they usually do a selection, stuffed and unstaffed. You could also try some other things baby peppers stuffed with feta. Perhaps a summer platter with Parma ham, salami and cheese.

They do taste better with the stone left in though, pitted tend to dry out a bit. Although marinated ones can be better. If you go to a supermarket salad bar type thing you can get a selection in a little tub, and she can see what she likes.

Yes they do taste different, black olives are milder in flavour, green are more bitter.

I never liked them until I tried them marinated. Now I appreciate the taste I can eat them even on their own but they do taste nicer with other things, IMO.

Try green Nocellara olives - they are one of the sweetest/less briny varieties.

Personally I find cheap pitted olives to be the least palatable, it's worth a few pounds to get nicer olives.

Good idea to get a selection from a deli. Pitted black ones have the least flavour if she wants to start gently though stone in are far better tasting imo. Kalmata (purpleish, pointy) are nice, almost meaty. I really enjoy green picholine and large green (queen?) olives are tasty too. Good luck - if she is a reluctant veg eater it must be good to hear she is interested in olives though they can be an acquired taste. My DH calls them little balls of tcp..