- In order to produce one quart (32 ounces) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 11 pounds of olives need to be pressed.
- Olive oil itself is naturally cholesterol, sodium, and carbohydrate-free.
- On average, an olive tree can live between 300 and 600 years.
- All olives start out green and then turn black or a dark purple as they ripen.
- On average, the world consumes approximately 2.25 million tons of olive oil each year.
- Baked goods will last longer when you substitute olive oil for butter. It is the vitamin E and polyphenols that causes this longer shelf life.
- The annual consumption of olive oil in the United States increased from 30 million gallons to nearly 70 million gallons a year in the last two decades.
- Processing olives below 86 degrees Fahrenheit keeps their aroma and oxidation levels intact.
- There are three towns and one city in the U.S. that are named “Olive Branch.”
- One liter of olive oil is produced from the pressing of seven liters of olives.
- Of all the olive oil produced in the United States, California is responsible for producing 99% of it.
- During the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the old tradition of crowning Olympians with olive sprays was brought back to life. Over 2,550 olive branches were utilized to revive this tradition.
- The flags of seven nations, four U.S. states, and the United Nations themselves all feature an olive branch
