# Why are black olives sold in cans, but green ones sold in glass jars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590 "2003-04-01T00:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/1 "2003-04-01T00:14:44Z")
Here’s a noodle-scratcher…So why are black olives sold in cans, but green olives are always sold in glass jars?? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/2 "2003-04-01T00:55:25Z")
The Cincinnati Enquirer [says](http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/06/25/tem_ask_a_stupid.html) > [@](#): > > Black olives, technically known as black ripe olives, come in a can because we actually cook them in the can. Olives go in, a brine or juice is added, cans are sealed and they then go into a continuous cooker. Glass simply can’t hold up to the intensity of the cooking process.” > > ``` > Green olives, meanwhile, are processed differently — they're pasteurized but not cooked, then put in jars with brine added. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/3 "2003-04-01T00:57:25Z")
IIRC: Food keeps better in opaque containers. (Compare clear plastic milk bottles’ expiration vs. cardboard cartons’.) So canned black olives will keep longer that bottled black olives. But green olives are basically pickled. So being in glass doesn’t matter, except that jars are cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/4 "2003-04-01T01:13:02Z")
I don’t understand these answers; can’t I get cooked green olives in a can? Pickled black ones in a glass jar? Or is it the actual _act_ of cooking/pickling that gives them the colour, and they were all the same to begin with? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/5 "2003-04-01T01:57:00Z")
Black olives are green olives which have ripened. I’ve never seen green olives in a can. I have seen genuine Greek Kalamata olives, which are black, sold in a jar. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/6 "2003-04-01T02:11:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Big Cheese \* > \*\*…but green olives are always sold in glass jars?? \*\* This part of your question is incorrect; as you can see from the [Lindsay Olives website](http://www.storefinity.com/go/bellcarterfoods), they pack both black and green olives in cans. However, it does appear that only green olives are available in glass jars. ---
**Author:** ![Trucido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Trucido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trucido)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/7 "2003-04-01T02:26:33Z")
My parents enjoy a particularly foul and, hopefully, peculiarly Spanish treatment of green olives that involves stuffing them with sardines. These green olives come in pop-top cans. I have also had other olives, also Spanish, that come in a can. I haven’t, however, ever seen canned green olives available in your average American supermarket. So, green olives come in both cans and jars, and certain types of ripe olives come in both cans and jars. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/8 "2003-04-01T11:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fear Itself \* > \*\*However, it does appear that only green olives are available in glass jars. \*\* Don’t know whether this is true in the USA but you can certainly get black olives in glass jars here (I have some). Both kinds are also available in cans. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trucido \* > \*\*My parents enjoy a particularly foul and, hopefully, peculiarly Spanish treatment of green olives that involves stuffing them with sardines. \*\* I can’t recall seeing them stuffed with sardines, but you can get anchovy-stuffed olives easily enough here. They come from Greece and Spain (and perhaps Italy). ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/9 "2003-04-01T11:51:46Z")
Just to confirm what **everton** said, on this side of the pond they both come in both cans and jars (mostly jars though). ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/10 "2003-04-01T12:43:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > \*\*Just to confirm what **everton** said, on this side of the pond they both come in both cans and jars (mostly jars though). \*\* Well mostly jars here, I didn’t even know they came in cans til I read this very deep and meaningful thread 😛 In Australia black olives, with pits, without pits, sliced, all come in jars as far as I know Green ones, with pits, without pits and stuffed all come in jars as well. Haven’t Americans figured out how to put black olives in jars yet? ---
**Author:** ![Kiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiger)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/11 "2003-04-01T13:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auliya \* > \*\*Haven’t Americans figured out how to put black olives in jars yet? \*\* I’ve bought Kalamatas in a jar… but they are more purple-ish so does it still count? My favorites are the big green olives stuffed with garlic. No one ever wants to associate with me after I eat those. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Arturas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@Arturas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arturas)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/12 "2003-04-01T14:18:09Z")
We also get our black olives in jars here in Lithuania but the green ones come with at least 5 different stuffings: blue cheese, salmon, almonds, pamento, and I forget the rest. Never saw such variety in my life. I swear there is greater variety in the grocery stores in Lithuania than I ever saw in the US. (I was never in NY, before someone jumps me on that issue.) ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/13 "2003-04-01T15:43:55Z")
"Glass simply can’t hold up to the intensity of the cooking process.” WTF? I can’t believe that there’s any cooking process that olives will survive that glass won’t. Glass doesn’t even soften until you reach temperatures that turn any vegetable into mush. Besdies, hasn’t anyone heard of _canning jars_? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/14 "2003-04-01T16:03:29Z")
It’s really just The Man’s way of keeping a black olive down. The green olives are in a clear jar, able to see the vista of the supermarket, light streaming in from all sides. The black olives are trapped in a dank, lightless can covered with murky water. This conspiracy theory brought to you via the comedy of David Chappelle. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrLizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@DrLizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrLizardo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/15 "2003-04-01T16:04:50Z")
At risk of offending, let me propose a revision of the question: We’ve established that this cans/jars thing is less preponderant overseas than here in the US. We’ve established that even in the US one can find examples of “dark” olives sold in jars. However, treating this as the ‘exception that proves the rule,’ let’s accept that a quick trip to any grocery will prove the vast majority of green olives are sold in jars and the vast majority of black in cans, and thus ask: Why, in the U.S., are green olives almost entirely sold in jars and black (ripe) olives almost entirely sold in cans? My personal hypothesis: aesthetics. Black olives typically float in murky, black/purple liquid, and they’re rarely stuffed with anything, thus they would not be especially appealing visually in a jar. Whereas green olives are often stuffed with various items, like pimientos, that add visual zest and they float in a clear-ish liquid. Thus making the aesthetics worth diplaying… Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![DrLizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@DrLizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrLizardo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/16 "2003-04-01T16:08:37Z")
Addendum: the “ripe” olives I have seen in jars are not typically your traditional “black” olives. I’ve seen kalamata olives, which tend to be reddish more than black and are packed in light-toned liquid brine. I’ve also seen oil-cured olives in a jar, which also tend to be packed in oil that is light-toned and the texture of the olives is visually interesting. Two more factors that make me think it’s about packaging in the most visually appealing way. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/17 "2003-04-01T19:40:46Z")
It’s simply not true that black olives are sold only in cans while green olives are sold only in jars. For example, Oberti brand green ripe olives are sold only in cans, while many types of black olives (e.g. Kalamatas and the generic Greek black olives) are often sold in jars. Oil-cured black olives are rarely sold in cans. There is a type of black olive that is almost always sold in cans in the U.S. They are very mild in flavor and very dark. This is the type of olive that is used on cheap pizzas and relish trays. Perhaps this is what The Big Cheese had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/18 "2003-04-01T19:57:33Z")
**DrLizardo** , exceptions do not prove rules. Exceptions prove that rules aren’t really rules. That said, can I take a stab at asking the real question? What is different about the process involved in placing olives in cans verses in bottles that leads to some species of olives (most notably the type of black olive that is used in relish trays and pizzas) is almost always sold in cans wheras the big green olives that you put in martinis are almost always sold in jars? Is it a factor of the species of Olive? Does one process better compliment the flavor of certain types of olives than the other? Is it the intended use of the olive that leads to the choice of process? -lv ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/19 "2003-04-01T20:33:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trucido \* > \*\*My parents enjoy a particularly foul and, hopefully, peculiarly Spanish treatment of green olives that involves stuffing them with sardines. These green olives come in pop-top cans. I have also had other olives, also Spanish, that come in a can. I haven’t, however, ever seen canned green olives available in your average American supermarket. So, green olives come in both cans and jars, and certain types of ripe olives come in both cans and jars. \*\* Sardines? Really? I have had anchovy-stuffed olives, and they are LOVELY. Sardines sound great too. Here I love feta-stuffed Queen olives. But you can’t seem to buy them anywhere, just get them in the expensive hotels. I found one place selling cheese stuffed olives, but it was parmesan. Normally I love pasta with olives and parmesan, but parmesan-stuffed olives tasted like the smell of cheesy feet and sick. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590/20 "2003-04-01T22:48:11Z")
I vote for **DrLizardo’s** hypothesis. Since we’ve established that there are no hard and fast rules, aesthetics is the only thing that makes sense to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-black-olives-sold-in-cans-but-green-ones-sold-in-glass-jars/165590.md?page=2)