'Bella di Cerignola' Giant Black Olives
(19.4 oz | 550 g)

The Pavoncelli family is synonymous with the town of Cerignola, where in the early 1900s the Pavoncelli estates covered an expanse of more than 30,000 acres.  The 'Bella di Cerignola' cultivar is a giant green olive that is known for its meaty texture and its savory Umami taste.  There is no better way to enjoy an Aperitivo al Fresco than cracking open a jar of Pavoncelli Olives: one bite and you will be hooked

So what makes a black olive black? The black olives are those that are riper and darker at the time of harvest. Pavoncelli separates the darker olives from the greener olives and soaks them in a brine made with local salt from the nearby Margherita di Savoia nature preserve for 40-60 days. They are washed many times in a soda wash to take away any trace of bitterness. They are oxidized by being left in water, in strong jet streams of air for 5 days; this turns them black. Then, at the end, a very small amount of iron (15mg/kilo) is added to stabilize the color. This amount is much lower than the quantity used by conventional olive producers, who dye the olives black using around 150mg/kilo of iron, the highest quantity permitted by law; these higher quantities can cause dangerous side effects!

Then, at the end, a very small amount of iron less than 150 mg/kilo (the highest quantity permitted by law) is added to stabilize the color. The amount of this colored stabilizing agent in Pavoncelli black olives is lower than the quantity used by conventional olive producers,  higher quantities can cause dangerous side effects!

The cultivar takes its name from the town of Cerignola, near Foggia in the region of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot and a veritable olive paradise: acre after acre of olive groves dating back hundreds of years and stretching as far as the eye can see. Originally from Spain, these olives arrived in Puglia in 1500 - when Puglia was under the rule of the Spanish empire - and found their perfect habitat. Hot, dry, breezy summers and cool winters provide the perfect growing conditions, allowing the Bella di Cerignola Olive to grow to become the world’s largest olive.