Question: Why do black olives come in cans and green olives in a jar? Is there a reason, or is it just tradition?

        Answer: It's not a tradition at all, says Margo Lloyd at Bell Carter Foods, a large West Coast olive processing house.

        It's all a matter of how the olives need to be processed, she says.

        “Black olives, technically known as black ripe olives, come in a can because we actually cook them in the can. Olives go in, a brine or juice is added, cans are sealed and they then go into a continuous cooker. Glass simply can't hold up to the intensity of the cooking process.”

        Green olives, meanwhile, are processed differently — they're pasteurized but not cooked, then put in jars with brine added.

        If you have a stupid question, e-mail knipenquirer@yahoo.com or send it to Ask a Stupid Question, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202; fax: 768-8330;

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