Good brand of Kalamata olives, in U.S. grocery stores?

[email protected] wrote on Sat, 8 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800
(PST):

m> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek
m> restaurant here in the states come from a jar? Or is there
m> some fresher source these restaurants get them from? I'm
m> assuming kalamata olives aren't or can't be grown in the
m> U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm sure they can be grown in the US. I've had decent ones from
Fresh Fields, Trader Joes and the local Food Cooperative. Mind
you, I've seen the Coop people filling their smaller containers
from large ones marked "Packed for Coops by ..(I forget)". My
one simple criterion is I want them pitted (strange ambiguous
term isn't it?) even if the texture is not as good as the ones
with pits.



James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

[email protected] wrote:
: Can anyone recommend a good brand of Kalamata olives available in U.S.
: grocery stores (or mail order)?

: Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek restaurant
: here in the states come from a jar? Or is there some fresher source
: these restaurants get them from? I'm assuming kalamata olives aren't
: or can't be grown in the U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.

I think that Mario's still packs these. They used to have the
black and sometimes purple ovals that must have an official
name, but that I've always known as simply 'Greek olives'. I
haven't seen those in jars for years: they are my favorites. I
can buy bulk olives, Kalamata, Italian oil cured, large Spanish
green and more at several deli counters and supermarkets in
town [Whole Foods, certainly, but local places as well]
--thelma

: Thanks very much.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:7741b6cc-f69d-4185-b05d-2812011129ab@e23g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Can anyone recommend a good brand of Kalamata olives available in U.S.
> grocery stores (or mail order)?
>
> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek restaurant
> here in the states come from a jar? Or is there some fresher source
> these restaurants get them from? I'm assuming kalamata olives aren't
> or can't be grown in the U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.
>
> Thanks very much.


I've got three brands (jars) of Kalamata's in my refrigerator right now. To
me they all taste different. When I buy them in a grocery-store where they
are sitting out, even those taste different -- to me.

I would think that depending on the season and the curer (is that a good
word?) that it's possible that they indeed are different.

I know that when I was in Greece and the olives were sitting on every table
that they have never tasted as good here in the U.S. as they did there.
Could have been the ambience -- or my memory.

Start tasting and find one you like, too.
Dee Dee

"James Silverton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:I8E6j.3197$rB1.2864@trnddc03...
My
> one simple criterion is I want them pitted (strange ambiguous term isn't
> it?) even if the texture is not as good as the ones with pits.
>
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland


I haven't used it yet, but I bought an olive/cherry pitter. I've used all
the tricks to get the pits out easily, but 'it's the pits.'

I haven't made the recipe recently that calls for a bunch of them pitted
that I bought this gadget for. I think the pitted ones hold their flavor.
I buy a brand that is pretty good that has no pits "Trade Joe's Pitted."

Dee Dee

Dee.Dee wrote on Sat, 8 Dec 2007 17:17:34 -0500:


DD> "James Silverton" <[email protected]> wrote in
DD> message news:I8E6j.3197$rB1.2864@trnddc03...
DD> My
??>> one simple criterion is I want them pitted (strange
??>> ambiguous term isn't it?) even if the texture is not as
??>> good as the ones with pits.
??>>
??>> James Silverton
??>> Potomac, Maryland

DD> I haven't used it yet, but I bought an olive/cherry pitter.
DD> I've used all the tricks to get the pits out easily, but
DD> 'it's the pits.'

DD> I haven't made the recipe recently that calls for a bunch
DD> of them pitted that I bought this gadget for. I think the
DD> pitted ones hold their flavor. I buy a brand that is pretty
DD> good that has no pits "Trade Joe's Pitted."

My garlic press that I never actually use has an olive pitter in
the handle. It's not always successful in keeping the olive
together :-(


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"James Silverton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:I8E6j.3197$rB1.2864@trnddc03...
> [email protected] wrote on Sat, 8 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800 (PST):
>
> m> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek
> m> restaurant here in the states come from a jar? Or is there
> m> some fresher source these restaurants get them from? I'm
> m> assuming kalamata olives aren't or can't be grown in the
> m> U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.
>
> I'm sure they can be grown in the US. I've had decent ones from Fresh
> Fields, Trader Joes and the local Food Cooperative. Mind you, I've seen
> the Coop people filling their smaller containers from large ones marked
> "Packed for Coops by ..(I forget)". My one simple criterion is I want them
> pitted (strange ambiguous term isn't it?) even if the texture is not as
> good as the ones with pits.
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland


Everything said so far in this discussion is meaningless until Sheldon comes
along to tell us how he grows & cures several varieties of his own olives in
upstate New York, in spite of the weather. He also invented the glass jar,
and spent years in the lithography industry producing food labels.

On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800 (PST), [email protected] wrote:

>Can anyone recommend a good brand of Kalamata olives available in U.S.
>grocery stores (or mail order)?
>
>Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek restaurant
>here in the states come from a jar? Or is there some fresher source
>these restaurants get them from? I'm assuming kalamata olives aren't
>or can't be grown in the U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.
>
>Thanks very much.


It is difficult to know what is stocked nationally, but here in NJ, I
can get Paesana brand and they are terrific and keep quite well in the
fridge.

http://www.paesana.com/search_category.cfm?s_Category=66025346&CNAME=Specialty Olives

In fact, I used a good handful or two to make rosemary, olive, walnut
sourdough bread last weekend.

Any basic sourdough recipe can be used as a base (logically, it should
be starter, flour, water and salt only). To a final mix of the dough,
I add - per 2lb loaf ...

4 ounces of EVOO
1 tablespoon of finely chopped, fresh rosemary (you can add more)
4 ounces chopped walnuts

Boron

[email protected] wrote:
>
> Can anyone recommend a good brand of Kalamata olives available in U.S.
> grocery stores (or mail order)?
>
> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek restaurant
> here in the states come from a jar? Or is there some fresher source
> these restaurants get them from? I'm assuming kalamata olives aren't
> or can't be grown in the U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.

Go to a deli and get them from the olive bar.

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:32:37 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>"James Silverton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:I8E6j.3197$rB1.2864@trnddc03...
>> [email protected] wrote on Sat, 8 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800 (PST):
>>
>> m> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek
>> m> restaurant here in the states come from a jar? Or is there
>> m> some fresher source these restaurants get them from? I'm
>> m> assuming kalamata olives aren't or can't be grown in the
>> m> U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.
>>
>> I'm sure they can be grown in the US. I've had decent ones from Fresh
>> Fields, Trader Joes and the local Food Cooperative. Mind you, I've seen
>> the Coop people filling their smaller containers from large ones marked
>> "Packed for Coops by ..(I forget)". My one simple criterion is I want them
>> pitted (strange ambiguous term isn't it?) even if the texture is not as
>> good as the ones with pits.
>>
>> James Silverton
>> Potomac, Maryland
>
>
>Everything said so far in this discussion is meaningless until Sheldon comes
>along to tell us how he grows & cures several varieties of his own olives in
>upstate New York, in spite of the weather. He also invented the glass jar,
>and spent years in the lithography industry producing food labels.
>

don't forget he invented processing olives for cats.

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:32:37 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>"James Silverton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:I8E6j.3197$rB1.2864@trnddc03...
>> [email protected] wrote on Sat, 8 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800 (PST):
>>
>> m> Also, do all the kalamata olives that you'd find any Greek
>> m> restaurant here in the states come from a jar? Or is there
>> m> some fresher source these restaurants get them from? I'm
>> m> assuming kalamata olives aren't or can't be grown in the
>> m> U.S. Maybe I'm wrong.
>>
>> I'm sure they can be grown in the US. I've had decent ones from Fresh
>> Fields, Trader Joes and the local Food Cooperative. Mind you, I've seen
>> the Coop people filling their smaller containers from large ones marked
>> "Packed for Coops by ..(I forget)". My one simple criterion is I want them
>> pitted (strange ambiguous term isn't it?) even if the texture is not as
>> good as the ones with pits.
>>
>> James Silverton
>> Potomac, Maryland
>
>
>Everything said so far in this discussion is meaningless until Sheldon comes
>along to tell us how he grows & cures several varieties of his own olives in
>upstate New York, in spite of the weather. He also invented the glass jar,
>and spent years in the lithography industry producing food labels.
>

don't forget he invented processing olives for cats.

your pal,
blake