ABSTRACT
The olive is a common name for a plant family and its representative genus, and for the fruit of the olive tree. There are approximately 900 species of olives in 24 genera. Most of us are familiar with the olive that is cultivated for its fruit, which are sometimes referred to as drupes. Olives for eating are harvested or picked when they are either unripe or ripe. The unripe olives are green and remain so during pickling. Ripe olives are dark bluish when fresh and turn blackish during pickling.
