The crushed green olives are a culinary tradition of Calabria as well as all of southern Italy.
A culinary tradition that is celebrated with autumn, the harvest period, and in addition to olive oil, crushed olives preserved in oil are also stored in jars.
The crushed green olives are a great side dish, but they are delicious for seasoning sandwiches, are an essential component in a Calabrian appetizer plate, and can be added to a nice tomato salad to make it richer and more flavorful.
A delicacy that will accompany us throughout the year, and will be especially useful on those occasions when you improvise ciambotte with friends: Just have cold cuts, cheese, crushed green olives and good wine to spend an evening in great company.
- Portions: 13 Pieces
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 11 lbs of green olives
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 0.5 oz of dried bell pepper
- 1 bunch of fresh fennel
- 1 and a half tablespoons of fine salt
- q.b. of EVO oil
Tools
- Press
- 13 Jars
- 13 weights
Steps
Let’s start by crushing the olives with a meat mallet a little at a time, removing the pits and placing them in a large container with water.
During this process, use gloves, or your hands will turn black.
Once you finish crushing all the olives, change the water, cover with a clean cloth, and place a weight on top to keep the olives submerged.
I used a basin filled with water.
Change the water every day and cover until the bitterness is gone.
It usually takes 5/6 days.
When they are ready for jarring, prepare the aromatics.
I don’t like too much spiciness, so instead of chili pepper, I used dried bell pepper.
I added garlic cloves chopped into small pieces and fresh fennel.
Drain the olives and pass them through the press to squeeze out all the water.
Season the crushed olives with a tablespoon and a half of salt and mix well.
Add the previously prepared seasonings, add some EVO oil, and mix.
Proceed with jarring by pouring some EVO oil at the bottom, filling the jars by pressing the olives.
Once you have finished filling, leave the jars open for a while to allow the oil to settle and add more where necessary.
The olives must be completely covered, then you can place the weights in each jar and close with the lid.
The crushed green olives can be a welcome gift for your friends in a nice Christmas basket of delicacies.
