All olives start off as green. That is the natural colour of this fruit when it is growing (unrippened). In the green, unrippened state, olives contain less oil, and for consumers, this explains why green olives have a sharper flavour and more firm flesh texture than black olives.

Green olives require less processing and preparation time (compared to black olives). Generally, green olives receive a 40-day natural pickling process. The seasonal time of harvest can vary from location to location. The primary influencers of the harvest are weather conditions. . For example, green olives that are grown in mountainous areas are always harvested later in the season that green olives grown in the valleys. This is because the mountains lower temperatures delay the ripening process. Generally, in the standard timeframe for harvesting green olives runs from September to mid-October.

Green olives come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are processed using many different techniques such as cracked, pitted, sliced, and stuffed with Pimento, Garlic, anchovies, or just about anything else desired.

Green olive sizes range from small olives -- known in the industry as “Large” olives, to the biggest varieties-- known as “Super Mammouth” and “Atlas” olives. And, there are also different types of green olives, the most notable being Spanish, Greek and Moroccan.

Each type of green olive offers a unique flavour and taste. This is attributable to each region and each farmers differing methods for curing, processing and preserving the olives.

The Spanish and Moroccan producers use a “lye treatment” process to accelerate the fermentation (fermentation is a natural process that removes the olives bitterness) process. . Impressively, lye treatment can remove the olives bitterness within a few weeks..

On the other end of the spectrum, Greek olives do not use fermentation accelerators. Instead, all olives are processed naturally, as they have been for centuries. The Greeks use salt and water in a brine solution to remove all olive bitterness. This natural process typically requires a few months, compared to the lye treatments few weeks. Despite the longer timeframe the Greeks produce olives that are full of flavour, and many people still prefer this preparation method.

For packaging and shipping, Spanish cultivators usually pack olives in pasteurized cans or tins. Moroccans are known for using vacuumed packing methods. Greek manufacturers, once again abiding by ancient traditions, always pack processed olives in traditional plastic pails.