Olives are one of those acquired tastes, but Ben and I love them. Kim on the other hand is not so fussed, but will eat them if I put them into a pasta sauce.
So to keep up with supply, it was time for me to begin curing black olives for this season. In our area, olive usually ripen between May and July depending on the variety.
Now because my own olive trees are not quite old enough to produce a crop, I was fortunately gifted some from my friend Jabir. He brought in a 2kg bag of freshly picked olives ready to cure.
Curing olives are quite easy and not very time-consuming. I prefer the soak and brine method myself.
The soak part of the process is quite easy and there are two ways you can do this. You can slice each berry top to bottom without cutting into the pip then soak in tap water for 14 days, change it daily (check out this method for curing olives here), or as I tried this year, just leave them whole, soak in water, change daily for 4 weeks.
At the end of each of these two methods, just make sure you taste one of the berries to ensure that the majority of the bitterness is gone. If not, soak for another week and try again.
Then it is time for the brining stage. Get two large jars, sanitize in boiling water and allow to dry.
I used two saved Moccona coffee jars for this purpose. Then in a large saucepan add two litres of water and 1 cup of table salt. Make sure that you stir until all the salt is dissolved. If there is a bit of salt on the bottom of the saucepan, warm up the brine to help dissolve all the salt. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
Place your drained and rinsed olives into the jars, allowing about 4cm head room.
Once the jars are filled, pour in the brine just to the top of the olives. Give the jar a gentle tap on your worktop to remove any trapped bubbles of air.
Pour a 1cm layer of olive oil to cover the olives. This keeps olive in the brine and ensure that they are not exposed to any air. Place the lid on the jar and set aside in a dark place for five to six weeks while the black olive cure further. Try the olives at the 5 week mark, and if still a little bland, allow another week in the brine.
After the brining time has completed, you can eat them to your heart’s content! To store them, just leave them in the jar, brine and all, ensuring that the layer of olive oil remains intact.
I have kept cured black olives for over a year in this state, with them still tasting amazing.
With so many olive trees in parks and on nature strips around the country, it is easy to pick your fill and cure your own olives. Just make sure that you ask permission, in case the trees are someone’s pride and joy!
Do you cure your own olives? What method do you use?
I was given some black olives for a first time try at brining them about a week back now. The recipe I’m trying (came with the olives) is to prick with a fork then soak in brine and change it twice a week for 2 weeks then once a week for 2 months. I LOVE olives so it’s really exciting to be having a go at brining my own. My trees are still tiny so they are a LONG way off producing any for home grown.
I will come back to this post in hopefully three years time. I planted year old black olive trees two year ago. Is my maths correct Gav?
Hi Gavin,
I started curing olives a couple of years ago after trying some from a neighbour and learning how simple it could be. I picked their excess fruit and gave it a go. This year I have about 10 jars worth from my own (still small) trees and double that from a nature-strip tree up the street that are a different variety.
I’ve tried a few different methods. The first year I meticulously sliced each olive with a sharp knife. I’ve also tried not piecing at all. This year I cured in smaller batches to compare the methods; some are smashed (with the bottom of a stubby in a carved out block of wood) and some are not pieced at all, plus they are divided by ripeness.
I should say I pick them semi-ripe, with a purple blush over half the fruit for half the crop. That then means the fully-coloured and non-coloured are in the right range.
I think unbroken semi-ripe fruit gives the best result, I like mine still firm (so unlike the commercial mushy ones). They do take longer but the wait is worth it. I’ve just about to pulse up a jar of the broken ones into tapenade.
For the brine I use a 10% salt and change the water infrequently, semi-weekly a few times and then bi-weekly. The length of time depends on taste preference. To store them I up the salt in the brine to 20%. I’m also trying some vinegar (10%) in the storage brine but that ups the cost.
I’ve eaten them at two-years old and they were still fine, just a bit softer.
When serving up I like to get them out the day before and refrigerate in a marinade with wine vinegar, fruity olive oil, garlic, chilli and fresh herbs from the garden.
I just love the response when people try them and can’t believe that I both brined and grew the olives, yet it is something that has been done for thousands of years!
One thing is for sure after doing them at home, you will never pay $10+ for a jar or little bowl of “gourmet” olives at a restaurant. And you don’t want to know the chemicals used to cure commercial quantities quickly.
Olives are addictive, two of my trees I cut right back and have grafted on jumbo-kalamata (being taught grafting from an ex-orchardist neighbour at the same time). I can’t wait to see what they are like in a couple if years.
Plus olive trees are so tough and low fuss. Everyone in Melbourne should have them.
Enjoy!
Cameron
I have tried both brining (10% rock salt to water) and water curing my olives. I have avoided the lye method of curing because I have read that it lessens the taste and texture. I liked the taste of water curing but the length of time needed was long and the olives became softer than I like; but I found the fully brined-cured olives too salty. This year I am experimenting with first water curing and then brining semi-ripened black olives, not cut or smashed, like Gavin and Cameron respectively suggest. Hopefully this compromise of methods will end in a good fine-tasting non-commercial olive from the orchard.