SALTING METHOD: Place washed olives in a wicker basket or a plastic container with holes. Cover with medium-coarse salt. Set basket in sun and protect with a cheesecloth cover. Twice a day for a week, toss olives to redistribute them, until the bitter fluid is drawn from them. Bring olives in at night to prevent mold. WATER METHOD: Cover washed olives with a solution of salt water (1 cup salt to each quart water) in a crock or glass jar. Place a weight, such as a small plate or washed rock, to keep olives submerged. Olives may remain in this brine for months. 5 to 20 pounds unblemished green olives BRINE: use 5 tablespoons salt to each 2 quarts water Garlic cloves Lemon wedges Black peppercorns 1/4 cup cumin seeds or coriander seeds Oregano sprigs White wine vinegar (3 cups for each 5 pounds of olives) Place the olives in a large plastic bucket and cover with cold water. Place a plate on top to keep the olives immersed. Set the bucket in a cool place. Change the water every day. Start tasting the olives after 21 days. The olives will change color from green to a light brown. If they taste somewhat bitter, continue soaking, changing the water every day for another week. Heat the water and salt until the salt dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Wash pint jars, about 8 for every 5 pounds of olives. Into each jar put 1 clove of garlic, a lemon wedge, 2 black peppercorns, 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds or coriander seeds, and a small sprig of oregano. Fill each jar with olives to 1/2 inch from the top. Pour white wine vinegar into the jars, filling them half full. Top off each jar with the brine solution. Screw on the lids. Store in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before serving. They will keep for at least 2 months. 2 Cup water 2 Tablespoon salt 1 Cup white wine vinegar 1 Lemon, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 3 Cloves garlic, halved 1/4 Cup olive oil Place olives in 1-quart jar. Add enough cold water to completely cover olives. Seal jar and refrigerate for 3 weeks, changing water in jar every day. After 3 weeks, sample an olive. It should be only slightly bitter. Continue to soak olives in water if still very bitter. When olives are only slightly bitter, in 1-quart saucepan, heat 2 cups water to boiling. Add salt and stir to dissolve. Set brine aside to cool to room temperature. Drain olives and rinse in cold water. Place cured olives in clean 1-quart jar. Cover olives with cooled brine. Stir in vinegar, lemon cubes, oregano, and garlic. Top with olive oil and seal jar. Refrigerate olives at least 1 month before serving. Olives will keep for 2 months refrigerated. 4 Tablespoons oregano 1 Sweet pepper, minced 5 Garlic cloves, sliced Salt to taste 1 Bunch basil 1 Cup virgin olive oil Peperoncino 1 Tablespoon vinegar Pound the olives with a mallet without crushing completely. Wash and let soak in water for about 10 days, changing the water daily. Drain the olives, squeeze them and make a layer on the bottom of a jar which can be hermetically sealed. Cover each layer with a little garlic, basil, peperoncino, oregano and sweet pepper cut into thin strips. Salt each layer. When the jar is full, push down on the olives to squeeze out as much liquid as possible and discard. Fill the jar with virgin olive oil mixed with a few drops of vinegar. The olives are ready to eat after 2 months. Water Salt Olive oil 1 Egg Garlic cloves, crushed Lemon juice Coriander, crushed Wash the olives well and dry in the sun. To split them, crush the olives gently with a flat stone or a hammer. Place them into a bucket and cover them with enough water. They have to stay in water for six days and the water has to be changed every consecutive day. Measure enough water to cover them and dissolve some thick salt in the water. In order to make sure the water has got the correct quantity of salt needed, put a fresh egg in it. If the egg floats, with part of it coming out of water, then it is just fine. Add the juice of three lemons and pour half a cup of olive oil on the surface. They are ready to eat after one month. Wash in cold water to remove salt. Mix some olive oil with lemon juice, crushed coriander and some crushed garlic. Pour the mixture over the green olives and serve. 1 Teaspoon ground cumin 1 Teaspoon oregano 1/2 Teaspoon crushed rosemary 1 Teaspoon thyme 4 Bay leaves 1 Teaspoon fennel seed 8 Cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled 8 Tablespoons vinegar 8 Anchovy fillets Place the olives in a glass or crockery pot. Fill with water. Change water daily for 2 months. Drain olives. Add all other ingredients, then fill the jar with water. Shake well and marinate at room temperature for several days. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, but do bring them to room temperature before serving. |
© 1999 David Louis Harter, California Technologies