How to prepare Homemade Green Olives in Brine…
Every, year, thanks to the small plot of land, I manage to have wonderful organic olives, which I store, then, throughout the year. With this method, Pickled Green Olives will always keep perfect, even for two years, and will always be ready to be used in the preparation of various dishes, or they can be seasoned and used as a snack or for appetizers.
Ingredients for Green Olives in Brine:
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) green olives
- 1 liter (4.2 cups) water
- 100 g (3.5 oz or about 1/2 cup) salt
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 whole cloves
- 10 fennel seeds
- 3 whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
How to prepare How to prepare Homemade Green Olives in Brine:
- Let us now turn to the preparation of Green Olives in Brine. The harvest period is from mid-September to mid-November, depending on the climate of the various regions of our peninsula. I live in Sicily and prefer to harvest the first week of October.
- Choose nice olives without bruising. Remove the stalk, if present, and wash them under running water. Place and drain them for half an hour.
- The olives can be stored whole or crushed. In either case, they should be placed in a large bowl that can hold them and covered with cold water.
- To crush the olives, one must have a cutting board, where to place them, and a meat tenderizer, pebble, hammer or nutcracker can be used to crush them.
- Place the olives on the cutting board or on a surface that does not absorb liquid because it may stain. Give each olive a sharp tap and immediately soak in the bowl with water. Continue in this way until finished.
- Place a plate or lid on top so that the olives are kept below the water level. This is to prevent, especially if the olives are squashed, that they may oxidize and turn dark.
- The water should be changed twice a day, morning and evening, taking care to always repeat putting the dish on top to keep the olives submerged.
- At the end of the third day, prepare the brine. Take a pot and put plenty of water, measuring the amount, as you will also have to calculate the salt.
- Then add 100 g of salt per liter of water, a few cloves of crushed garlic, fennel seeds, cloves, a few peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Olives are not to be put in, boil are salt and flavorings. Consider at least ten minutes, from when the first boil begins and allow the water to cool
- With a tea towel, dry the olives and put them in glass jars, perfectly clean and sterilized. Add the barely lukewarm water, straining it through a strainer so the flavors do not pass through. Cap and store in a cool place.
- The olives can be consumed after a couple of months. If they are whole, wait another fortnight. When using them, they should be rinsed under running water and used for their own needs.
- Pickled green olives are seasoned with evo oil, vinegar, oregano, chopped chili peppers, chopped celery stalks and crushed garlic. They are allowed to sit for a few hours before consuming so that they season well.
Bon Appétit!
