How to prepare marinated olives at home

What a lovely outing today! On my midday walk with my dear Fusta, I came across a man picking olives. He was an elderly gentleman, and it turns out that for many years he had been responsible for taking care of a farm with 80 olive trees! I couldn't resist asking how we should prepare them, so here are his tips for making crushed and seasoned olives in brine, to enjoy in a few days.

- Aren't those olives green yet?

- Not for what we want them for, they are great.

- Well, please tell me how I should do them.

...

Wash the olives and beat them or make some cuts lengthwise with a knife.

Leave them covered in warm water for 10 or 12 days, changing the water every day. Taste them; they should taste sweet and have lost their bitterness. If they still taste bitter, keep them in water for up to 20 or 25 days if necessary, changing the water daily.

When you notice that they have lost their bitterness, wash them and put them in a jar or tub.

Prepare the water for the brine. You need to use about a handful of salt per kilo of olives, but you can do the egg test: fill a large jar with water and put a fresh egg in it. Add a few tablespoons of salt and stir the inside carefully. Stop stirring and see if the egg floats or sinks to the bottom. If it sinks to the bottom, it needs more salt; add more salt and repeat the process until the egg floats, which will be the optimal salt level for the brine. Remove the egg.

Pour the salted water into the jar, tub or jars in which you have placed the olives, covering them. Leave the olives in the brine for 3 days, ideally. Wash the olives and now we are ready to season them.

For the dressing: I recommend thyme and orange peel, but some people add bay leaves, savory, rosemary, oregano, fennel, lemon, ñoras, onion, garlic (crushed), dried peppers, basil, carob leaves...

Arrange the tub or jars in which you are going to put the seasoned olives. Apply a layer of thyme and arrange a layer of olives; then add more seasoning (more thyme, crushed garlic, orange peel...) and apply another layer of olives... And so on until you reach the top of the jar. Add salted water again until you reach the top of the container (it can be brine - the floating point of the egg - or slightly reduced in salt). Close the jars.

You now have your seasoned olives! Leave them for a few days to absorb the flavour of the seasoning, and then you can enjoy them in salads or as a nice snack.

Remember to use a wooden spoon! They say that if you use a steel one or other, they become soft or don't sit well with the food.

****

• To preserve your olives, you may want to use Luigi Bormioli jars, they are ideal for all types of preserves (and many other things).
• It's well known that you should use a wooden spoon for olives. If you want to follow the advice and use a wooden spoon to handle, pick up or serve olives, I recommend the Bérard olive spoon , which also has holes designed to remove the liquid.
• If you want an ideal dish to enchant your guests and serve some good appetizers, with olives of course (it is clear that they can never be missing at a celebration and even less so the homemade ones), I encourage you to see the Le Creuset appetizer serving plate .

I hope that, like me, you are encouraged to prepare olives at home with your favorite flavors.

Le Creuset Appetizer and Charcuterie Plate