Pickling your own olives is a simple and rewarding way to enjoy these Mediterranean delights at home. By following a few easy steps—slitting the olives, creating a brine, and waiting patiently—you can create delicious, flavour-packed olives that are perfect for snacking, salads, or as an appetiser. The process may take some time, but home-pickled olives' rich, tangy taste is well worth the wait. This recipe also allows you to control the level of salt and acidity, ensuring a personalised taste that's just right for your palate. Enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting and preserving your olives.
If you’ve ever wanted to pickle your own olives, it’s a simple and rewarding process. All you need are green olives, water, and salt! Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients
- Green Olives (however many you wish to pickle)
- Non-iodised salt
- Water
Method
- Prepare the Olives: Remove any leaves and stalks from the olives, then wash them thoroughly to remove any dust or dirt.
- Slit the Olives: Carefully slit each olive to release the oleic acid. This step is essential because, without it, your olives may turn out bitter once pickled. It’s a bit time-consuming but worth it for better flavour.
- Make the Brine: Place the olives in a pickling jar with a self-sealing lid. Dissolve 100g of non-iodised salt in 1 litre of water to make the brine. Pour the brine over the olives, ensuring they are completely covered.
- First Brine Soak: Leave the olives in the brine for 3 weeks. After this time, drain and wash the olives to remove any excess salt. Repack the olives into the cleaned jar and cover with a new brine mixture made from 75g of non-iodised salt per litre of water or a mixture of 950 ml of water and 50 ml of white wine vinegar. Ensure the olives are well covered with brine, about 2cm above the olives.
- Seal with Olive Oil: Cover the brine with a thick layer of olive oil to ensure the olives remain sealed and properly preserved.
- Wait and Enjoy: For the best flavour, let the olives pickle for at least three months. When you're ready to eat them, rinse them in cold water to remove any excess brine.
Enjoy your home-pickled olives! The process is simple, and the result is well worth the wait.
