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Castelvetrano olives are a variety of Lucques olives, also called Nocellara del Belice, which are also used to make Valle del Belice olive oil. They are primarily marketed as Castelvetrano in the United States. Sicily is the biggest producer, but the olives are also grown in India, Pakistan, and South Africa. These tasty olives, often considered table olives, are a favorite for casual snacking. They have a rich, buttery, and slightly sweet taste with little to no bitterness or sourness. These large olives have a bright green color and smooth outer flesh.
For a perfect snack, pair Castelvetrano olives with sheep’s milk cheese like Cafone Pecorino, dry-cured salami and pepperoni, pecans, walnuts, or almonds, and white wine like Sauvignon Blanc. They are also wonderful in salads and can be added to any sauce or pizza for a beautiful, buttery olive that does not overpower a dish.
If you have only ever tried strong tapenades made with black olives like Kalamata olives, then Castelvetrano olives will change your perceptions of what a tapenade can be. Add garlic, fresh thyme, olive oil, anchovies, and crushed rep pepper flakes to a food processor and combine for an almost smooth yet still chunky tapenade.
Castelvetrano olives are cured in a lye and brine solution two weeks to produce their mild flavor. After this they are are washed to remove any excess lye. They are typically bottled in a brine solution with added acids such as lactic, citric, and ascorbic acids. They are sold pitted and whole.
