We continue with the olive harvest, and if last week I gave you the recipe for green olives in brine, this week it’s time for crushed olives, another useful recipe for those who always want to consume them in a few months or even better eat them fresh. Obviously, we all know that freshly harvested olives, when put in the mouth and chewed, leave only a bitter taste, making them inedible, so there are processes to make them sweet and edible. Here’s a quick method that will allow you to consume them within 5 days.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1.1 lbs
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Energy 293.35 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.07 (g) of which sugars 1.15 (g)
- Proteins 2.12 (g)
- Fat 30.84 (g) of which saturated 4.09 (g)of which unsaturated 25.25 (g)
- Fibers 6.74 (g)
- Sodium 7,070.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs green olives (whole)
- 17 cups water
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic
- salt
- chili pepper (optional)
- 2 cups water
- 3.4 tbsp vinegar
- 1.4 oz salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig wild fennel
- chili pepper
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot (small)
Tools
- Olive Crusher
Preparation
N.B.:
To prepare crushed olives, first, you need to equip yourself with gloves, a rock the size of a bar of soap, or alternatively an olive crusher, and a plastic sheet to avoid staining the surface where you will work, and of course some nice green olives. Ready? Let’s begin.First, from your olive harvest, take the nicest ones, no stains or insect bites, and preferably medium-large size. Then start crushing them one by one with the rock and set aside. The pit should be left inside, also because it might be difficult to detach. (1)
Once all the olives are crushed, take a tray or a large bowl and put the olives inside, then cover them with water. Stir with your hands and discard the water. Refill the tray and cover with water again, but this time, leave it for 24 hours. (2)Perform this operation every 24 hours for 3 days. During this time, the olives will change color a bit, becoming darker or spotted depending on the type of olives. After these 3 days, drain the olives and proceed to remove the pit, which will now come off easily. (3)
Place the olives back in the tray and fill with water. Leave like this for 24 hours. It’s likely that all, or almost all, the olives have become darker. Take one, taste it, and the flavor should be slightly bitter but not too much. If you think it’s too bitter (truly unpleasant), change the water and leave to soak for another day. If they are only slightly bitter, change the water and add a tablespoon of salt for each liter of water used.
Once the salt is added, let rest for 24 hours, so the olives will lose the last of their bitterness. Taste an olive, if it’s still bitter, leave it to soak for another day or two in the saltwater solution; otherwise, proceed to drain the olives. Leave them to drain for a few hours, or even half a day, stirring occasionally so that the water trapped inside some olives is released.
Your crushed olives are ready, and now you just have to season them to your liking or follow our instructions below.
To consume them immediately, simply season them in a bowl with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a clove of garlic sliced into rings. You can also add oregano and if desired, chili pepper.
Some people also add vinegar, but we prefer to consume them as simply as possible.
They should be consumed within 3 days.In a pot, bring half a liter of water to a boil, and once it reaches boiling point, turn off the heat and add the salt. Stir until completely dissolved and let cool. Once it has cooled, add the vinegar. Take pre-sterilized jars with twist-off or hermetic lids (see how to do it here) and put in the olives, the aromas along with pieces of celery and carrot until reaching one inch below the jar’s neck. Pour the solution of water, salt, and vinegar to cover the contents and reach the neck of the jar. Leave at least one centimeter of space between this and the lid, then close and store in the pantry. Consume after at least a month. The olives will keep for 6-8 months if well sealed.
After opening, you can eat them as they are or season them again with a drizzle of olive oil after draining.
