Today we discover how to prepare olives in brine with a particular method: we will make olives in brine with salt, water, vinegar and oil, a recipe that was originally created to preserve crushed olives and that I also use for whole olives. I have already explained how to make crushed olives, one of the most iconic recipes of Sicilian cuisine, such as Oven-baked black olives Sicilian-style, and I have already said that to prepare them you need to change the water every day for about 10 days. With this second recipe, a little “slower” than the first, I will explain how to obtain delicious olives without the stress of having to change the water every day or to crush them. So here we are, if you want to preserve freshly picked green olives and make a supply for the whole winter, follow me in the kitchen and I will explain a super easy recipe. The only flaw of this recipe? You will need to wait at least three months before enjoying them, because they will slowly lose their bitterness and will be good only in late winter. Thanks to the use of salt and vinegar and to the fermentation that develops, this preserve prevents the risk of botulism (at least as long as the jar remains sealed).
So let’s go to the kitchen and discover together how to preserve olives in brine, but before rolling up our sleeves I’d like to remind you that if you want to stay updated on my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 90 Days
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients for making olives in brine
- 4.4 lbs green olives (just picked)
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 6 tbsp salt
- 6 3/4 tbsp sunflower oil
Tools
- Jars
- Parchment paper
Quick preparation of olives in brine
This recipe was created to preserve crushed olives for a long time. As I explained above, when preparing crushed olives the water and salt must be changed for about ten days and once ready the olives should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed relatively quickly. With this method, however, you won’t need to change the water; the olives will mellow over time and you can store them for a long time (as long as the jar remains sealed). In my version I avoided crushing the olives and limited myself to scoring them: the result is identical.
To preserve crushed olives for a long time or simply the cut olives, after harvesting them at the right time when they are still shiny and firm, rinse and drain them. Crush them or cut deep slits down to the pit with a knife.
The quantities I gave in the recipe are indicative, but you can increase them as you wish; the important thing is to always maintain the correct proportion between water, salt, oil and vinegar.
Warm the water slightly, add the salt, the oil and the vinegar and stir well to combine everything.
Collect the olives into the various jars and fill them to the brim, without pressing them. Pour the solution also up to the brim. Try to work over the sink or on a tray that can catch any liquid that falls. Now crumple a piece of parchment paper, lay it on top of the olives so they are covered, and once the lid is screwed on they must be completely submerged. Alternatively use the classic jar presses for preserves (if the solution is not enough for the jars used, prepare more with the same proportions). During maturation the olives will lose some of their bright green and will look like those in the photo.
Close the jars, wipe them clean and place them on a tray with absorbent paper underneath; store in the dark for at least three months without ever opening them. During the first weeks the olives will ferment and liquid may leak from the jars; don’t worry, this is normal. You will see that as time passes the amount of liquid compared to the olives will seem to increase, while the olives will appear smaller: this is normal, they have lost some of their water to the solution.
Storage notes and tips
After the waiting time, the olives will already be edible, but the longer they rest the better they will be. I opened my last jar after one year and they were delicious. Once opened and drained, you can season the olives with celery, carrots, chili pepper, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and store them in the refrigerator for 6–8 weeks.
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