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Aldi Kalamata Olives (Specially Selected) Review

Written byThe Snarkle Sauce
A hand holding a jar of Specially Selected brand Kalamata olives from Aldi.

Don’t be afraid of the strange olives.

Do strange olive brands make you nervous? You’re not alone. I’ve had my share of olive disappointments. I hate olive disappointments. Well, I hate all food disappointments, but olive disappointments feel especially visceral.

I saw these Kalamata olives at Aldi, and I eyed them suspiciously before reluctantly putting them in my cart. The deciding factor? They were two dollars and nine cents. And the ingredients were surprisingly natural. For two bucks, I was willing to risk it.

Aldi's Specially Selected Kalamata olives inside the jar brine.

I’m glad I did, because these turned out to be pretty decent olives. I’d describe the flavor as mild and earthy, with a slight twang.

A fork with a single dark purple Kalamata olive from Aldi's Specially Selected brand.

They’re not as crisp and tangy as my favorite olives, but they’re nicer than I expected. Although they’re not the MOST delicious olives I’ve ever eaten, as salad olives, they are perfectly fine.

A hand holding a small white plate with an assortment of whole purple Kalamata olives from Aldi's Specially Selected brand.

These Kalamata olives are different colors and conditions, but fairly consistent in size. None of mine contained pits, although the pitting process left some minor cosmetic damage to the olives. Squashy damage. Like the inner airbag in the olives went off. You know.

A small cluster of purple Kalamata olives from Aldi's Specially Selected brand, sitting on a white plate.

Aldi’s Kalamata olives aren’t oily or particularly salty. Average saltiness. They do have a slight vinegar taste. These are brined in red wine vinegar, so that’s the flavor here. The vinegar isn’t strong enough to be especially acidic.

Fingers holding a single pitted kalamata olive from Aldi's Specially Selected brand.

These are medium-sized, ovoid-shaped olives. Just the right size for garnishes or salads. The texture is soft, and in some cases, slightly squashy. Not squashy enough to make me mad. Some olives are firmer than others. There’s a deep purple color throughout the interior of each olive.

I’ve run out of things to say, so here’s another picture:

A close-up of a bitten Kalamata olive from Aldi's Specially Selected brand, showing the texture inside.

Nutrition Facts and Price for Aldi Specially Selected Kalamata Olives

My 12.35 ounce jar cost $2.09. The dry weight is 5.99 ounces. There are 11 servings per jar of 3 olives each. The Salt Police will be glad to hear that there’s just 9% of your daily value of sodium per serving. Three grams of fat per servings, of which only 1/2 gram is saturated fat. If you have a nut allergy, just be aware that the jar may contain traces of almonds.

Jar label from the Specially Selected Kalamata Olives from Aldi.

Ingredients in Aldi Specially Selected Greek Kalamata Olives

Again, the ingredients were the deciding factor for me. For Kalmata olives, these are very natural and clean ingredients.

Here are the ingredients:

  • Kalamata Olives
  • Water
  • Sea Salt
  • Red Wine Vinegar

Yup. That’s it. I am used to jarred olives having preservatives, firming agents, color enhancers, extra flavors, and other nonsense, so this is a welcome relief.

These are imported from Greece.

Like many Aldi products, this one has the “Twice as Nice” guarantee, which means you can return it for replacement and refund, if necessary.

Twice as Nice guarantee from the Aldi Specially Selected Kalamata olives jar.

More Reviews of Aldi Products You Might Like (or Hate)

Check out these other reviews of Aldi stuff I’ve recently written:

Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Aldi, and I wasn’t compensated in any way for this review.

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