Stuffed, flavored, and packaged olives

Abstract

The invention relates to olive processing, and includes methods for producing olives, as well as the olives produced thereby. In one aspect, the invention provides compositions directed towards packaged olive preparations having novel and beneficial characteristics, for example, olive preparations that are free of packing liquids such as brine solutions. In other aspects, the packaged olive preparations of the invention can have other beneficial properties, such as extended shelf life and flavored stuffings or flavor infusions. In other aspects, the invention provides methods for producing such olives. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to black-ripe olives.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat-treated and packaged olive preparation comprising a plurality of olives or olive segments in a sealed container, wherein:
 a) the preparation is substantially free of liquid;   b) the sealed container is substantially impervious to oxygen;   c) the preparation has a shelf-life of at least 12 months;   d) the meat of the olives or olive segments has a pH not greater than about pH 4.6; and   e) the olives or olive segments further comprise:
 (i) an infused flavoring, or 
 (ii) where the preparation comprises pitted olives comprising a pit cavity, said olives comprising a flavored stuffing contained within the pit cavity, or 
 (iii) the combination of both (i) and (ii). 
   
     
     
         2 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the olives or olive segments are selected from (i) California black ripe olives or olive segments, (ii) California style green olives or olive segments, (iii) Spanish style green olives or olive segments, and (iv) olives or olive segments from one or more olive varietals. 
     
     
         3 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentration inside of the sealed container is not more than about 1.0%, not more than about 0.5%, not more than about 0.1% or not more than about 0.05%. 
     
     
         4 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the sealed container provides an oxygen ingress barrier. 
     
     
         5 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the olives or olive segments further comprise an oil coating. 
     
     
         6 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the preparation further comprises one or more non-olive food item. 
     
     
         7 . A method for producing a heat treated, packaged, acidified and substantially liquid-free olive preparation, the method comprising:
 (a) providing:
 (i) a plurality of olives, and 
 (ii) a container substantially impervious to oxygen when sealed; 
   (b) treating said olives with an alkali, thereby producing olives whose fruit is alkaline;   (c) acidifying said olives by exposure to an acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, gluco-delta-lactone (GDL), citric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, or any combination of two or more of said acids, thereby producing acidified, blackened olives having a pH of not more than about pH 4.6;   (d) packaging said acidified olives in the absence of any free liquid, where the packaging comprises:
 (i) distributing said acidified olives into said container, and 
 (ii) sealing said container; and 
   (e) subjecting the sealed container to retort processing at overpressure to achieve a shelf-life of at least 12 months.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising, following step (b) and prior to step (c), reducing the pH of said alkali-treated olives to within a range of about pH 8.6 to pH 8.9; and
 blackening said reduced-pH-olives by treating them with a ferrous oxidizing agent.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sealing of said container of step (f)(ii) is under conditions that produce a reduced oxygen environment within the sealed container. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sealing of said container of step (f)(ii) comprises pulling a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the olives or olive segments are selected from (i) California black ripe olives or olive segments, (ii) California style green olives or olive segments, (iii) Spanish style green olives or olive segments, and (iv) olives or olive segments from one or more olive varietals. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the oxygen concentration inside of the sealed container is not more than about 1.0%, not more than about 0.5%, not more than about 0.1% or not more than about 0.05%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sealed container provides an oxygen ingress barrier. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the olives or olive segments further comprise an oil coating. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the preparation further comprises one or more non-olive food item. 
     
     
         16 . A method for producing stuffed acidified olives, the method comprising:
 (a) providing:
 (i) olives with a pit cavity formed by removal of a pit, the olives having a pH in the range of 7.5 to 8.5; 
 (ii) a flavored stuffing paste comprising sodium-alginate in a concentration range of 1% to 5%; 
   (b) injecting the olive pit cavity with a quantity of the flavored stuffing paste to produce an injected olive,   (c) exposing the injected olive to a solution comprising 3% to 10% calcium; and   (d) acidifying the injected olives by exposure to a solution comprising:
 (i) at least one acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), citric acid, malic acid and adipic acid, and any combinations thereof, and (ii) calcium, 
   thereby producing stuffed acidified olives having a pH of not more than about 4.6.