19 Best Kalamata Olive Recipes

Kalamata olives are beloved around the world. Although they’re often served straight from the brine as an appetizer, it’s also possible to cook with them with delicious results.

From party-ready olive tapenade to one-pot pastas perfect for a quick family dinner, there are many ways to showcase the fabulous flavour of these tasty (and good for you!) Greek treasures.

You’ll find lots of inspiration in this collection of delicious kalamata olive recipes for appetizers, entrees, sides and even dessert!

And of course, there’s a perfect recipe for classic Greek village salad.

What’s So Special About Kalamata Olives?

I just returned from almost two months exploring the city of Kalamata and the Peloponnese region of Greece. It’s the birthplace of this famous olive.

After visiting the olive oil museum in Sparta, taking cooking classes and meeting with olive producers, I can tell you that not every black olive is a Kalamata olive!

The Kalamon or Kalamata olive is harvested from a specific olive tree varietal of the same name, the Kalamon. 

This olive variety yields the famous Kalamata table olives found worldwide in stores, delis, and restaurants.

How Kalamata Olives Are Made

The first thing I learned in the Peloponnese region of Greece is that olives can’t be eaten directly from the tree!

Don’t expect to go wandering around an olive grove snacking on olives like from a charcuterie board.

Although they’re a fruit, olives are unpalatable raw. They must be treated by curing and fermentation to reduce the bitterness which comes from a compound called oleuropein.

The fermentation process also adds healthy probiotics and gut-healthy bacteria to the olives which contain daily values of dietary fibers, fatty acids and antioxidants.

During a gastronomy walking tour with Maria Monastirioti of Mama’s Flavours, we stopped in at Trofopoleion 51, one of the oldest olive oil shops in Kalamata.

In addition to getting a tutoured tasting of extra virgin olive oil, we learned about table olives.

During our visit, co-owner Kely Koutelas explained how people prepare Kalamata table olives using traditional methods and pure, simple ingredients.

Olive processing begins as soon as the fruit ripens between November and December. Kalamata olives intended for the table (rather than oil) are harvested by hand or mechanically when they’re almost mature but not over-ripe.

The producer makes a superficial cut on each olive with a razor. The cut helps the olive absorb the brine and flavours of the dried herbs that will be added later.

Then, they place the olives in a pot and cover them with water to soak. 

The water is changed every 2 days for 15-20 days. Then, they strain the olives, sprinkle them with coarse sea salt and leave them in a vessel for 1-2 days, stirring occasionally.

After they’ve soaked in salt, a high-acidity homemade vinegar is added and the olives are left to marinate for 24 hours.

Finally, when the fermentation process is complete the olives are packed in clean glass or clay jars. Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano and/or dried orange peels and garlic cloves can be added.

🌟 Fun Fact: Unliked Spanish olives which are produced by lye curing, with Greek olives the bitter oleuropein compound is removed by enzymes produced by fermentation.

Choosing the Best Kalamata Olives

The International Olive Council (IOC), an international intergovernmental organization, recommends standards for the characteristics of olive oils and table olives.

This complex set of chemical and sensory tests can take decades to learn!

According to a research study of table olives by the Faculty of Bioscience at the University of Teramo, an over production of yeast produced during fermentation can cause softening of the olive tissue.

Creating a quality product begins at harvest. Kalamata table olives are selected for their high flesh-to-stone ratio, fine flesh and ease of detachment from the stone.

Curing the olives also shapes their flavour, texture, appearance. When shopping for the kalamata olives to use in a recipe, look for olives that:

• elongated in shape
• firm in texture, not mushy.
• free of added preservatives.
• don’t have cloudy brine.
• have no off odor.
• if wrapped in plastic, the package should not be bulging.

Nutrition

Several studies have shown that fermented Kalamata table olives are beneficial as a probiotic food. They’re rich in bioactive molecules with nutritional, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition to their health-promoting bioactive compounds, Kalamata olives are an excellent natural source of unsaturated fatty acids including oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids.

An important part of the Mediterranean diet, in Greek, Cypriot, Italian and Catalan cuisine, you’ll see olives served in many dishes, even breakfast!

Should Olives Be Pitted or Unpitted?

The quality (especially the texture) of a kalamata table olive begins to deteriorate as soon as it’s pitted.

The flesh begins to absorb liquid, becomes mushy and loses its savoury flavour. It also becomes saltier.

If being eaten straight from the brine as an appetizer or a salad, Kalamata olives are generally served with the pits inside.

Most recipes will specify whether the olives should be pitted or not. Most often they will need to be pitted, especially if being served to people who are unfamiliar with eating olives.

It’s best to pit the olives yourself rather than buy unpitted olives in a jar.

How to Pit a Kalamata Black Olive

The good news is that because of the way they are produced, it’s relatively easy to pit a Kalamata olive.

Begin with an olive at room temperature. Then, place the whole olive on a cutting board and press down on it with the flat of a large chef’s knife.

The olive will split and you can easily slip out the pit and discard it. Then prepare the olive flesh according to the Kalamata olive recipe you’re using and chop it, put it into a food processor or use it as is.

Storage and Food Safety

If you’ve enjoyed the salty, briny flavour of these tasty Greek morsels in these kalamata olives recipes, you’ll want to keep a supply on hand for easy meal planning.

How long do olives keep without going bad?

According to food safety research, table olives along with other fermented or acidified vegetable foods (such as pickles, curtidos and sauerkraut) have a long history of microbial safety due to salt concentration, acidity and other inhibatory compounds.

But that doesn’t mean that olives can’t go bad or harbour food borne bacteria.

In Greece, brined kalamata olives prepared in a traditional way and stored in a dark place away from the heat are good for 12-18 months.

However, outside Greece, most of us purchase Kalamata olives in the grocery store or delicatessen in jars or at a salad bar.

An opened jar of olives if stored in the refrigerator will be good for up to six months. Olives purchased from a deli display case are good for 3-4 days if stored in brine, covered in the refrigerator.

Health Canada guidelines say avoid purchasing or using cans that are damaged or bulging. Contents could be contaminated and may not be safe to eat.

As always, when in doubt, throw it out.

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