Preserving Olives
(with many thanks to Val, who provided this recipe)
For everyone with an olive tree, wondering how to preserve them: here we finally have our first olive preserving recipe!
I am keen to give it a go this autumn. Let us know how you went, and if you have an age-old family recipe, please do send it in, we'd love to try them all!
fresh olives
cooking salt
water
vinegar
olive oil
garlic
bay leaves
fennel seeds
chilli's
Method:
Cut every olive, or prick several holes in each one, so the brine can be absorbed.
Cover the olives with clean water and change every day, for 2 weeks.
Next prepare the brine with 125 grams cooking salt to 5 litres of water.
Place the olives in brine and cover with cloth, weighed down with a plate to achieve complete submersion.
Leave for 3 weeks, then transfer to a mix of
one third brine (make this by mixing 1/3 cup salt with 1 litre water)
one third vinegar
one third olive oil
herbs: garlic cloves, bay leaves, fennel seeds, small chilli's.
Wait 6 weeks.
Enjoy!
I'm trying this recipe using black olives from my tree - I'll do a taste test in late July when they're ready.
ReplyDeleteI'm also trying other recipes I've found online & I already have the results of the easiest batch and it worked and it's yummy and I'll make more (lots more olives on the trees). In late July I'll compare the results from 3 of 4 of my experiments (the 4th won't be ready until October!) and post back which is best. That will help determine which method I use next year but for this year I'm doing more batches of the easier recipe since I know it works and it's easy!
If you're interested, the easiest/quickest method that I just taste-tested is similar to this blog's recipe. Do the olive prep the same (I sliced my olives length-wise on 1 side). Do the water soak with daily changes for 4 weeks (not 2). Put rinsed olives in brine (75 g salt/1 L water) plus 1/2 c apple cider vinegar (for each litre of brine) + herbs (I used 2 clove garlic, 2 bay leaves, dill, fennel). Store in fridge - ready to eat right away.
I'm keen to hear results from the rest of you. Anything yet?