Preserving olives ~ This is not the caustic soda method.
I wanted to share an easier method than most of those that are out there. It came about after trying several long drawn out processes that made us think, "this is too hard".
We were given three or four recipes from Greek and Italian friends and after trying these methods hubby decided there must be an easier way that doesn't take as long and with less of the work. So this is what he came up with and it works very well. We haven't died of poisoning or anything else yet, so that's a good sign ha!
The below recipe is in hubby's words so please excuse any spelling or punctuation errors lol!
Hodgy's Combo Olive Recipe
Items needed
1. Olives must be firm, NO blemishes NO bruises.
2. Keep olives segregated soft and hard.
3. Large mayonnaise buckets, (local fish shop have them).
4. Large plate to fit snuggly in bucket, hold olives under water at all times.
5. Colander to transfer olives each day to fresh water.
6. Rain water ONLY.
7. Cooking salt. NOT IODISED.
8. One fresh egg to test brine saltiness.
9. Lots of jam jars... Depends on how many olives you collect.
8. One fresh egg to test brine saltiness.
9. Lots of jam jars... Depends on how many olives you collect.
10. GOOD quality grape vinegar. NOT THE CHEAP STUFF.
11. Optional - Jam funnel.
Olive Preparation
1. Wash olives.
2. Put 2 slits either side of olive, making sure not to hit seed.
Olive leeching time
Rain water
1. Place olives into bucket 2/3 full.
2. Add 10 litres of rain water.
3. Place plate on top of water.
4. Put lid on.
5. Change every day or every second day maximum.
6. Do this for 12 days.
Salt Brine
Items needed
1. 10 litres of rain water.
2. Mayonnaise bucket.
3. Cooking salt (I used Coles brand) NOT IODISED.
4. Large ice-cream container.
Making salt brine
1. Fill the ice cream container almost full.
2. Add salt gradually to water until an egg floats.
3. Do this with the 10 litres of rain water into a
fresh bucket.
Tranfer Olives to salt brine
1. Transfer olives from rain water to salt brine
with colander.
2. Place plate on top to keep
olives submerged.
3. Leave olives in salt brine
for 7 days.
4. Taste test the olives for
bitterness. To your desire for saltiness
5. If olives still bitter
after 7 days, repeat process with fresh salt brine for another 7 days or until
bitterness is removed.
Preparation for Pickling
1. Remove olives from salt brine and wash in rain
water.
2. Thoroughly wash jars and lids.
3. I put jars in a low oven at 100C to sterilise
jars.
4. Put lids in boiling hot water to sterilise as
well.
Make Pickling
1. 1 litre rain water
2. 85 gram of salt
3. 1 litre of vinegar. Must use good quality
vinegar. Grape, white wine or red wine. This is to your taste. Default is vine
valley vinegar.
Hodgy's concoction (this is the one hubby uses. He accidentally discovered it by adding all the leftovers together and found the resulting taste was very good).
1. 1 litre grape wine vinegar
2. 500mls balsamic vinegar
3. 1.5ltrs rainwater
4. 100gms salt
Hodgy's concoction (this is the one hubby uses. He accidentally discovered it by adding all the leftovers together and found the resulting taste was very good).
1. 1 litre grape wine vinegar
2. 500mls balsamic vinegar
3. 1.5ltrs rainwater
4. 100gms salt
Olives in jar time
1. Place 12 pepper corns in bottom of jar.
2. 2 cloves of garlic chopped and evenly placed
through the jar.
3. 1 heaped teaspoon of Basil evenly placed
through jar.
4. Place some of your herbs on the bottom of jar.
5. Half fill with olives.
6. Add more herbs.
7. Fill with olives leaving 15mm head space.
8. Add more herbs
9. Add your pickling mix until just covers olives.
Leaving enough room to add an oil seal.
10. Add a seal of extra virgin olive oil.
11. Put lid on and seal.
Olives to your taste
Use dried herbs and spices.
You can add chilly, Italian mixed herbs, Fennel or what ever your taste buds
desire.....
Olives brewing
Place your olives in a dark
cool place for 4 to 6 weeks to pickle. Then taste.........GOOD LUCK and
ENJOY.....(we actually couldn't wait that long and started eating them straight away).
Any questions? Ask away.
If you try this method, I would love to know what you think. To date the feedback has been all positive from the ones that have sampled ~ smiles.
See you soon,
xTania
The olives.
Olives ready to have slits put in them.
One cut each side, but be careful not to penetrate the stone.
Soaking in rain water.
Changing the water daily.
Giving the olives a stir before draining the water off.
Fresh water in and a dinner plate placed on top to prevent olives floating to the top.
All prepped and ready for bottling the olives.
Seventy five jars all bottled. We swap, barter and gift many of these.
Any questions? Ask away.
If you try this method, I would love to know what you think. To date the feedback has been all positive from the ones that have sampled ~ smiles.
See you soon,
xTania
We have done this for a few years Tania, as we have about 10 trees in our yard! Too busy, so just let them fall to the ground. Cheers Robyne Ceduna.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame you don't use the olives Robyne, especially with so many trees in your yard.
DeleteWe have two really young trees, but our friend supplies us with enough from her tree as it produces exceedingly well every year. The thing that takes the most time is putting them into jars. The soaking basically is pretty simple, just change the water daily...a ten minute job. I think it took about two hours to bottle them up with the two of us doing it, and we did it at night time when there was nothing on telly.
xTania
Wonderful photos, Tania. Thanks for the recipe. You inspire me.
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly Stephenie xxx
DeleteThanks so much for posting this method!
ReplyDeleteIt's not too dissimilar to the method I used, I used a plain brine for mine, but I'll be keeping his brining recipe for next time, I'm not sure where I will get grape vinegar from though? But I guess I can use white wine vinegar instead. I tasted one of my brined olives out of the jar recently, and it was very salty, I think I'll have to rinse them before I eat them, and maybe drizzle them with a little olive oil??
Also I used clean but not sterilised jars, I hope they don't spoil, but I did it just like Nonna from Noonatube said, and she didn't sterilise her jars! There seems to be so many ways to cure olives, it does my head in LOL!
Hi Cheryl, we have soaked the olives back in rain water for a day to remove some of the saltiness. Otherwise you sound like you are on the right track.
DeleteI am sure your jars will be fine, we are just extra cautious that's all. Simply because we are packing them with products that aren't hot and the tops don't pop down to seal. I guess the layer of oil on top of the olives protects them from getting air to cause mould and spoiling them.
There are so many different ways, that is why hubby decided to simplify the methods he was passed down. It still works just fine. Some of methods include soaking them for up to 21 days!
xTania
I love olives and am in wonder of you doing this at home. If I could grow olives in Nebraska, I'd try your method.
ReplyDeleteHello Kay and welcome to my blog, so happy you let me know you were here.
DeletexTania