Why do green olives come in a jar and black olives in a can?

Answer by  BrandonAllin (968)

More often than not, black olives are kept in oil and green olives are kept in brine, and brine in a metal can can corrode the material of the can on the inside.

Answer by  dannyg28 (3070)

I am not sure if I know the answer but I will take a shot that the green olives are more pleasing to the eye so they show them off.

Answer by  whoareyou (3483)

You can actually get green olives in a can as well, but they are called 'Greek' olives instead. The jarred olives are actually pickled, and are usually combined with garlic or some other type of vegetable. Black olives are sweeter and therefore not as good for pickling.

Answer by  justmesuzanne (625)

Green olives come in a jar because they are more acidic than black olives, so they would tend to have a negative reaction with the can. Also, green olives are more often used as a snack, so need to be packaged in a re-sealable container. A whole can of black olives may more often be used in a recipe.