Pitted olives and uses of olive pits

Traditional families of the old generations had a habit of exploiting everything about pitted olives. In their culture, nothing is useless; regardless of the size of the object or its matter, each piece can be used for one end or another.

This behavior was not the result of greed but of need and lack of materials. The ancient civilizations that inhabited the temperate regions were well known to make use of olive pit. These trees provided food for both humans and their animals, as well as shelter and other needs. Olive oil was a source of food, its seeds were food for animals, the leaves were made in tents, and the pulp was pressed into drinks... the list goes on.

These habits are appreciated today; some fall under the efforts to recycle waste and reduce pollution, while others meet certain needs.

One of my favorite agricultural products, which is highly valued and exploited to the extreme as well, is olives. This article deals with innovative and sustainable ways of exploiting olive pits.

What are olive seeds used for?

The olive pit is the hard stone that covers the olive seed. We usually think of these two parts as one. It is what lies beneath the flesh of the olive.

learn what to do with olive pits

Olive seeds or olive pits can be used for various ends. For those asking what are olive seeds used for, keep scrolling down to find out the remarkable treasure you have at hand.

Once considered as waste, these pits started to reveal their true values. Doctoral research, from the University of Granada, found that those pits and other waste of fruit production can be used to eliminate heavy metals from industrial waste.

Another research, from the University of Houari Boumediene, showed that the pits could facilitate denitrification, which is a process of wastewater treatment.

An energy source:

Using biomass to produce energy is now a common practice in several countries. Olives waste has the potential as well to be a source of sustainable energy for the future.

Olive waste burns well. People use it to keep their fireplaces alive and burning through the night. However, this waste can be used on a bigger scale. Olive pits are now used by olive companies as a source of electricity to energize whole plants.

Calordom, a Spanish company, is burning olive waste to power a few buildings. Combustion has been criticized for the potential pollution that it might cause. Fortunately, researchers are finding new ways to turn those pits into energy, which a promising step towards clean and sustainable biofuel solutions.

Olive pits powder:

The centrifugation process during the extraction of olive oil helps to separate olive pits from other remains of olives such as pulp. These are cleaned and turned into powder.

Those grounded stones are excellent alternatives for microplastics. They offer promising effects in abrasive applications such as heavy-duty cleaners and handwashing products.

The olive powder has many food applications as well, both for human and animal foods. It is a gluten-free flour that can be and is used in various baked goods.

This flour is also used in the industry. It boosts the resistance and lifespan of certain materials.

The bottom line, this olive powder is used in multiple products from personal care products to household detergent additives, to food, filters, and biomaterials.

Is it safe to eat olive pits?

Though olive pits are not something you should eat, if this happens there wouldn’t be a big problem. People ask is it safe to eat olive pits? Well, they are not poisonous, and hence they are safe to eat if you have cravings for such things.

However, if you are not paying attention, you might break a tooth or two. So be careful when eating olives or pick pitted olives and play it safe.

Chinese olive pits crafts:

Carving fruit pits is an ancient Chinese art that has been included in intangible cultural history.

Zhoushan is a village famous for this kind of artwork. People of this city live mostly on carving olive stones. They carve tiny micro sculptures and jewelry out of the seeds. The art dates back to the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. It is a highly valued work that even official wore over their clothes.

The oldest known olive-pit carving dates back to the year 1737. It depicts a boat with eight people, furnishings, and 300 characters from a Chinese poem. The masterpiece is now preserved in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum.

Are olive seeds edible?

The small seeds are extracted from the inside of the olive kernels, which can be roasted and eaten. The seeds are edible and have a distinctive taste.

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