Green and Ripe Olive Oils: What are the differences?
Let's start with the simplest explanation: green olive oil is prepared from green olives and mature olive oil is prepared from ripe olives.
The green olive oil is prepared from olives harvested before they have fully matured, resulting in high-quality oils (normally extra virgin), as the olives have not yet entered a process of deterioration.
Our ripe olive oil is an olive oil produced from olives harvested at a more advanced stage of ripeness, that is, when the olives are more mature.
Are there specific characteristics of green olive oil?
Yes! Green olive oil is prepared from “younger” olives and this will obviously affect its quality in different variables:
- Flavour: green olive oils are usually more intense in their levels of bitterness and pungency, something associated with the higher concentration of polyphenols1.
- Aroma: green olive oils have fresher aromas, reminiscent of green herbs and fruits.
- Color: color is not an indicator of the quality of the oil, however, it is normal for oils produced from green olives to also be greener. Something explainable by the concentration of chlorophyll2, which subsequently dissipates as the olive ripens.
And what characterizes a ripe olive oil?
An oil prepared with ripe olives has very different characteristics from a green oil. Let's see:
- Flavour: ripe olive oil tends to have a less bitter and pungent flavor compared to green olive oil. The sensorial profile is generally softer and fried, with sweeter notes, reminiscent of ripe fruits.
- Color: we already know that the color of olive oil is not a criterion for its quality, however, it is normal for ripe olive oil to have a more yellowish color. This difference occurs due to the lower amount of chlorophyll and the increase in carotenoids3.
- Lower polyphenol content: ripe olives are harvested later, so they have a lower polyphenol content. Therefore, the nutritional profile of mature olive oils has a lower antioxidant content compared to green olive oils.
But don't ripe olives have more oil?
This is a common myth, but it is not entirely correct. The oil is already formed when the olives reach the ideal ripening point, since the lipid formation process occurs during the fruit's growth phase. With time and later harvests, the olives begin to lose weight, mainly due to water evaporation.
Therefore, when harvesting an olive later, which has already lost part of its water, the oil yield in relation to the weight of the olive will be greater. However, the total amount of oil extracted from the fruit remains the same.
It is important to note that late harvesting increases the risk of deterioration of the olives, which can compromise the quality of the oil produced. Although it is said that oils from ripe olives have more yield than those obtained from green olives, this is simply due to the fact that ripe olives are lighter due to the loss of water.
How should I use these oils?
The green olive oil has an intense flavor and aroma, making it ideal for using cold to finish dishes and salads. Its flavor profile may also require a certain amount of moderation, so as not to overpower other flavors in the dish.
The ripe olive oil has a milder flavor, which makes it more versatile and adaptable to different dishes and also ideal for those who prefer oils with less intense, bitter and spicy flavors.
And the olive oils from Quinta Mourisca?
At Quinta Mourisca, we like to have different harvests so that our customers can have a more comprehensive experience of the world of olive oils.
For many years, we only produced ripe olive oils (something that was normal in the olive oil market). Our Altitude is a ripe olive oil produced from olives (from olive trees located at an altitude of more than 800 meters) harvested at full maturity of the madural, verdeal and cobrançosa qualities. It is an olive oil recognized for its smoothness and has organic certification and D.O.P. Trás-os-Montes.
Since 3 years ago, we “entered” the world of green olive oil, our first being Negrinha do Freixo. Produced only with "negrinha do freixo" olives, it is an oil that is characterized by its intense bitter and spicy profile.
It has already been followed by Madural Verde, also a monovarietal olive oil produced only with olives of madural quality and with organic certification, but which has a softer profile than negrinha.
We hope this text has been useful. Use the code – azeitem – to get a 10% discount on Quinta Mourisca olive oils!
- The polyphenols are bioactive compounds found in plants, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, red wine, tea and olive oil, and which are recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial to health. ↩︎
- The chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants, algae and some bacteria, responsible for absorbing sunlight during photosynthesis. ↩︎
- The carotenóides are natural pigments found in plants, algae and bacteria and are responsible for “coloring” them with variations between yellow, orange and red in fruits, vegetables and flowers (examples of this are carrots, pumpkins, peppers and tomatoes). ↩︎
