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Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions about olives,
its benefits and its cultivation?
Le Brin d’Olivier’s Frequently Asked Questions section is sure to answer all your questions.
What are the benefits of olives?
To learn more about this fruit of the olive tree, we invite you to click on the page The benefits of olives
What beauty tricks can you perform with olive oil?
To find out more about the cosmetic properties of olive oil, we invite you to click on the Beauty Tips page to find out more!
Why so few French olives?
To understand the olive market in France, it’s important to remember one figure: French olive production represents only 2% of olives sold in France.
Le Brin d’Olivier, on the other hand, sources over 22% of its oil volume from France, a real challenge for us. What’s more, Le Brin d’Olivier is one of France’s leading olive producers, and one of the few to pack olives in France and keep jobs in the region.
We invite you to visit our displays where you’ll find, in addition to olives from Spain to meet demand, our Pays Tanche variety olives, our Picholine du Gard, our Nyons PDO black olives… our green and black tapenades made from French olives and our two French olive oil products.
Why do some olives taste so salty?
For better preservation and microbiological stability, olives must contain a minimum amount of salt.
Depending on the variety, olives are either immersed in a salty aqueous solution (called brine), or directly mixed with salt. Throughout the storage period, the olives become more or less saturated with salt, until they reach an osmotic equilibrium. The salt comes directly from the Aigues Mortes salt marshes in the Camargue.
To reduce the salt content of our products as much as possible, we are working on optimizing the quantities of salt used in our recipes.
Why are pits sometimes found in bags of pitted olives ?
As our olives are pitted mechanically, it is difficult to guarantee a total absence of pits. To ensure the safety of our consumers, this information is indicated on our labels and sachets of pitted references.
Why don't we use iron gluconate?
Our confectionery and the producers we work with don’t use iron gluconate because it’s a color stabilizer that colors green olives, whereas our black olives are olives that have ripened naturally. It’s quite easy to spot these colored olives, since they’re completely smooth, whereas a ripe black olive is wrinkled. We condemn these practices.
Why 3 organic products?
In France, the cultivation of organic olives is highly confidential.
Many olive growers would like to turn to this more environmentally-friendly crop. And yet, with only 4.9% of its agricultural land allocated to organic farming, France ranks 18th among European countries.
This is the main reason why our organic olive references are of Moroccan origin. Our organic olives are selected methodically and precisely. They have been certified by Ecocert in accordance with article 29, paragraph 1 of European regulation no. 834/2007 on organic farming, and in compliance with the certification program in force, as defined by the relevant INAO circular.
Why is "Le Brin d'Olivier" based in Nyons?
It’s in the heart of the Drôme Provençale, in Nyons, the olive capital of France, where Le Brin d’Olivier was established some fifty years ago. Nyons is the capital of the Baronnies, the Drôme Provençale region at the foot of the northern slopes of Mont Ventoux. Situated at the outlet of the Eygues valley into the Rhone valley, the town is protected by mountains whose peaks reach 1,000 meters. It lies on the 44th parallel north, sheltered from the prevailing winds by the Préalpes hills. In winter, they provide effective shelter from the gusts of mistral wind that so often sweep through the sky, giving Nyons such a micro-climate that it’s nicknamed the “Little Nice”. It is also sheltered from the Mediterranean rains by Mont Ventoux. The olive tree has found a home in the north of the Mediterranean basin. They grow here in great numbers, and the Nyon terroir produces renowned olives and olive oils, classified as AOC since 1994. Olives are Nyons’ speciality, and a local variety, the tanche, is grown here, whose olive trees can withstand sub-zero temperatures (-10°). Nyons black olives are destined for the table and for olive oil.
They grow here in great numbers, and the Nyon terroir produces renowned olives and olive oils, classified as AOC since 1994. Olives are Nyons’ speciality, and a local variety, the tanche, is grown here, whose olive trees can withstand sub-zero temperatures (-10°). Nyons black olives are destined for the table and for olive oil.
So if you come to Nyons in June, you’ll have unforgettable memories of thousands of olive trees in bloom!
Why are Nyons olives wrikled and dry?
The reason the Nyons olive is wrinkled is that the olive tree flowers in June, where the flowers will be fertilized. Roughly one flower in thirty will bear fruit.
This fruit grows gradually, turns green in September and then begins to blacken.
They are harvested in December, during winter, when the dry cold puts the olive tree to sleep.
The sap then retreats to the bottom of the tree and no longer circulates in the branches.
Why do olives sometimes stick together?
Olives can be fragile, depending on their variety, size, type and intensity of processing. As a result, some olives, particularly the fattest, lose their firmness due to the multiple manipulations required between harvesting and packaging.
How to store olives?
When olives are packaged in brine, they should be kept refrigerated after opening, with as much liquid as possible to prevent oxidation.
For olives packaged without brine, reseal the bag or jar before storing in the fridge.
Adresse
« Le Brin d’Olivier »
355 rue du Dr Dio
ZA Les Laurons
26110 Nyons
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