Bella di Cerignola Olives

The olives of Bella di Cerignola are named after the town of Cerignola in Apulia, also called Puglia in English. Cerignolas is one in the delicacies in Southern Italian cuisine. The biggest olives in the country, Cerignola olives, are around the size of a large pecan shell. Meaty, moderate, and fruity, Cerignola Olives are ideal for antipasto or aperitif dishes.

Cerignola Olives are produced in several colors: purple, red (made by applying food coloring) and black. The white is the firmest, although the black is the softest. Almost all Cerignola olives are marketed in pits, which allow them to retain a solid structure in their brine.

Because of their large size, Cerignola Olives are perfect for serving at parties or having a beautiful display on a plate. When cut, Cerignola Olives should be rinsed to extract excess salt and then tossed in olive oil. At this stage, you can enable them to marinate for a few hours and serve plain or to combine in chopped herbs, garlic or chilies.

If you really want to serve Cerignola Olives with the pits removed, use a cherry pitter to remove the woody center. This produces a convenient space that can then be filled with bacon, salami sticks, or sun-dried tomatoes. You can also use a large knife to pit the olives of Cerignola. Just smash the olive under the knife to slip the pit out of it.