Preserving Olives
Tips on Preserving Olives
Growing an olive tree can be very easy and, with fruit produced after just a few years, tasty as well once you learn the knack of preserving olives. While it takes a bit of patience, the taste of fresh, delicious olives will be your reward.
When picking olives, either green or black olives can be chosen as long as they are still firm. The variety of fruit tree will make a difference on the color of the olive. The best method of picking olives is a matter of choice, with hand picking being the most favored. Bruising can be a real problem if the fruit is allowed to drop to the ground by shaking or striking the tree limbs. Only the best fruit harvested should be included when preserving olives to get the best end result.
After picking the fruit, rinse with water to clean the olives, removing any debris that may have also been collected. Place the olives on a clean flat surface, use a rolling pin or similar object to “wound” the fruit. A knife can be used to score both sides of each olive, but if you are preserving olives in large quantities, this may not be a feasible method. The wounding will help the fruit to absorb the salt and water.
At this stage, the olives will be inedible due to their bitterness. Preserving olives is a process of removing the bitterness while at the same time allowing the fruit to take on flavor. The equipment needed is simple: olives, water, salt and a large container in which to brine the fruit. Use one cup of salt to 10 cups of water mixed together to form the brine; immerse the bruised olives in the brine in the large container. A heavy lid should be used to keep the olives submerged in the brine.
Every day, strain off the salted water and replace it with fresh water and more salt. This process of preserving olives should be repeated for about 10 days when using black olives and 12 days when green olives are used. Check the fruit by tasting; if it is still bitter, continue the brining process for another couple of days and then taste again. When most of the bitterness has been removed, it is time for the final brining.
Bring to a boil the same amount of salt and water as used in the brining, and then allow mixture to cool. Placing the brined olives in canning jars, pour the cooled brine over the fruit to cover. Add just a bit of olive oil to the top and screw on lids. The preserving olives can remain this way for about a year. Before eating the olives, pour off the brine, rinse with cool water and chill.
For anyone wanting to experience fresh flavor, preserving olives will be a fun and tasty activity. While it may be a bit time consuming, the process itself is an easy one, and the reward will be ongoing with every delicious olive eaten.