The Cornicabra variety is usually used in olive oil production but in the typical regions of cultivation (typical of Ciudad Real, Toledo, Madrid, Badajoz and Caceres), it is also popular as a table olive. This olive is half way through the maturation process producing a beautiful color range from pale pink to dark purple. The cornicabra is oval-shaped with a small horn on one side, which gives the name to this variety: Corni-cabra meaning ” the goat’s horn “.
Serve the olives with a dash of Spanish extra virgin olive oil. The unique shape and color of the olive makes it perfect to include in your own customized olive mix.
In natural brine curing, the Losada olives are brined in tanks within 24 hours of the harvest. The brine is simply sea salt and water along with small percentages of lactic, absorbic, and citric acid. Natural Brine curing takes 9-12 months of curing vs. 3 months with lye curing.
For over 50 years, Aceitunas Losada has produced table olives in Carmona, Spain, near Seville. A family owned company, Losada controls the entire process from hand harvest in their own groves to curing. In February 2014, Losada broke ground on an onsite packaging facility, the final step in their farm to “table olive” movement. The current generation owners, Luis and Maria Losada have transformed this traditionally commercial olive operation into a leader of innovative, artisanal food production. While the company has all of the infrastructure of a traditional plant, their focus has turned to resurrecting forgotten varieties and reverting back to natural curing methods. This brother and sister combination believe that in order to progress, they must go back in time.