The olive is a fruit native to the sunny Mediterranean region. Hardy olive trees now flourish in other subtropical areas, such as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Latin America. Olives are grown both for their fruit and oil. There are dozens of varieties, each bearing a small, oily fruit containing a pit. Olives vary in size and color by their specific type. All fresh olives have a bitter flavor. They are either pressed for oil or cured for eating. The curing process removes the bitterness and produces the characteristic flavor and shiny appearance.

• Olives are eaten as an appetizer or meal accompaniment.
• Ripe (black) olives are used in Latin and Mediterranean cuisines.
• Spanish-style olives are added to sandwich fillings, potato and pasta salads, and martinis.
• Tapenade is an olive spread flavored with anchovy, garlic and capers from southern France. It is traditionally made with ripe olives and spread on bread.

Black, or Mission, olives are ripe green olives that obtain their characteristic black color and flavor from lye-curing and oxygenation. Black olives are often referred to as ripe olives. They have a mellow, smooth taste and are sold pitted, unpitted, sliced and chopped.

Dry-cured olives have been packed in salt to remove their moisture. They are available pitted, unpitted and stuffed with herbs.

Kalamata olives are from Greece. They are almond-shaped with a dark purplish-black color. They are soaked in a wine vinegar marinade and have a rich, fruity flavor. These olives are generally sold unpitted.

Niçoise olives from the Provence region of France are small, dark olives that are cured in brine and then packed in olive oil. They are sold whole.

Spanish-style, or green olives, are picked underripe, soaked in lye and then fermented for six months or more. They have a tart, salty taste and are sold pitted, unpitted and stuffed with pimiento.

Both pitted ripe black olives and stuffed Spanish olives are readily available all year in jars in supermarkets. Some markets also offer a variety of other imported and domestic olives. Dry-cured olives are available in jars at some large supermarkets or at gourmet food markets.

Leftover opened jars of olives should be kept refrigerated in their brine or oil in a tightly covered container. Leftover canned olives should be transferred to a glass jar for storage. Olives will keep for several weeks. When the olives begin to turn soft, discard them. Unopened cans and jars of olives can be stored for up to two years.