What is an olive spoon?
While searching online dictionaries for the official definition of an olive spoon, we were surprised to find that there wasn't one! It was disappointing to see that both the "mote spoon" and "slotted spoon" had descriptions, but the olive spoon didn’t. We felt somewhat better after learning that the mote spoon, which was designed for straining tea, was never widely accepted by the public and was eventually replaced by the tea strainer.
We decided to search for information on Wikipedia. In our search, we found a comprehensive list of various types of spoons. There, in the cooking and serving utensils section, between the mustard spoon and the rice spoon, we found this description:
Olive spoon - used to remove olives from their liquid, while allowing the liquid to drain easily from the spoon; typically made from stainless steel; has slots or a hole cut from the bottom of a bowl-shaped head to release the liquid from the spoon; also used to lift cherries, cocktail onions, pickled garlic and similar condiments from the liquids used to store the foods. Wikipedia- Types of Spoons
The history of olive spoons
Next, we set out to find out who invented the olive spoon. There, we hit another roadblock…inventor unknown! We did learn that the earliest olive strainer spoons were crafted in the early 1700s by well-known silversmiths of the time.
These special spoons were appreciated in the South of France and were a gift of choice. Since whole olives were a delicacy at this time and very expensive, owning an olive straining spoon showed your status. What’s more, olive straining spoons at the time were formidable, with beautiful and intricate cut-out perforations.
A silver olive spoon from the 18th century with scrollwork and quatrefoil cut-out details.
Olive spoons – why we love them
Did you know that there were specialty spoons invented for one purpose only? While the olive spoon was created for scooping, straining, and serving olives, we love that it is a multi-purpose tool.
Jason Olive Spoon Set
The thoughtful design of our handcrafted olive strainer spoons features a rounded bowl with nine small round perforations. The rounded bowl is deep enough to safely capture and hold 3 small olives, keeping them intact so that they hold their shape, and the perforations are perfectly situated for draining brine and other liquids.
Our olive spoons, like all our handcrafted flatware and specialty serving pieces, are made from durable stainless steel to withstand countless uses. They come in various styles to complement our handcrafted flatware sets and are designed to coordinate with any décor.
Now let’s talk about “olive” the ways to use your olive spoon set:
In your home bar
Love Martinis? Give your Jason olive spoon set a place of honor in your home bar space.
Olives are more commonly used in Martinis and sometimes used in a Bloody Mary cocktail or a Red Snapper (a Bloody Mary made with gin instead of vodka).
According to most garnish guides, when using olives as a garnish in a martini, you should use whole olives. Pitted olives, with their hole in the middle, will infuse into the drink.
When it comes to making cocktails, olive strainer spoons can be used for more than olives. They are great for cocktail onions, too.
Photo credit: Liquor.com/Tim Nusog
A Gibson is a Martini, basically, but with a different garnish. Unlike a Martini with olives or a twist of lemon, the cocktail onions in the Gibson add a savory umami flavor.
An olive spoon set is an essential addition to your bar accessories. Use them for maraschino cherries (Manhattan) and mango bits (Mango Daiquiri).
When prepping a charcuterie board
The Celia copper olive spoon set has long, slender handles, perfect for dipping into this jar of marinated mozzarella balls.
You can also use them to scoop out pickles, marinated artichoke hearts, capers, pickled garlic, or pickled jalapeños. This special spoon gets delicious delicacies out while leaving the juice behind.
For topping desserts
The Twig black olive spoon set is ideal for scooping up delicious strawberries in syrup when making a strawberry sundae.
For fun, we kept our set with our other kitchen utensils to see how often we might use them. Here are other ways these multifunctional spoons have helped in the kitchen.
- Removing chickpeas from a can to use as a topper for a salad
- Skimming fat from a pot of soup and retrieving a bay leaf
- Draining a small portion of rotini to sample for readiness
What was the result of our little kitchen test? We believe we only “skimmed” the surface when it came to finding uses for our olive spoons. From now on, we’re going to keep a set with our other kitchen utensils.
The Sundance 4-piece olive spoon set is the perfect gift for anyone who loves olives.
Photo credit: Pantry to Table
Who is an olive spoon set the ideal gift for?
Our olive spoon gift sets include 4 handcrafted stainless steel spoons, wrapped in a soft, eco-friendly cotton cloth. These gift sets are perfect for:
Anyone who loves olives. Olive lovers can say goodbye to messy puddles of brine and oily fingers.
The hostess with the mostest. We all seem to have that friend who can whip up an appetizer or cheese board at the mere mention of a party. Just imagine how much they’ll love a straining tool to make hosting even easier.
A friend who loves creating cocktails. After all, a cocktail garnish isn’t just about making a drink look appealing. Garnishes add fragrance and flavor to a drink.
Your favorite foodie. They’ll enjoy using these special spoons to strain away liquids from foods and other delicacies.
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Watch this video to see our handcrafted olive spoons in action and see for yourself why the olive spoon is a must-have in every home, bar, and restaurant.
