Preserving olives (forum)

Julie starts with ...
Does anyone have a guaranteed, surefire way of preserving olives? Lots of recipes online, but which to do?

My olive tree has finally produced fruit, after several years, and has enough black olives to make it worthwhile having a go.

Time: 27th May 2012 9:19pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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Brendan says...
Hi Julie, in the olden days, they just used to put them in a sack bag with a rock (with rope attached), and throw them in the ocean! They'd leave them in the ocean for about 2 to 3 weeks :-)

One recipe I have used with some success:
2 kg green/ripe olives, cut slit in one side.
Big packet coarse salt or cooking salt.
2 L white vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Soak olives in plain water for 3 weeks, change the water daily.
Place olives in 5 litres of water that has

Time: 28th May 2012 9:10am

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Original Post was last edited: 28th May 2012 9:12am

About the Author Brendan
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MaryT says...
Hi Julie, here's another method from my book of French traditional techniques published by Centre Terre Vivante :

"Pick over olives and remove stalks. Pierce each olive and place them in a non-metal colander, adding coarse salt (four tablespoons per two pounds of olives). Then everyday for fifteen days, shake the olives and add a small amount of salt. This procedure will produce a rather blackish and bitter juice. Following this process wash and drain the olives and put them in a jar with olive oil to cover." from Yves Jury and Marie Poscia, Hyeres.

Time: 28th May 2012 6:04pm

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About the Author MaryT
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Brendan says...
Hi Julie & MaryT, factories use Lye (casutic soda/sodium hydroxide) to cure olives! I was never game to try it, but found this http://honest-food.net/2010/10/26/curing-olives-dont-be-afraid-to-lye/

Just have to carful.

Time: 29th May 2012 8:58am

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MaryT says...
Thanks, Brendan, for the warning of lye in factory cured olives. Lye is actually not so scary to me because it is used in Chinese cooking and used to be available in Chinese grocery shop ( I have not looked lately). The traditional noodle that accompanies wontons have lye in its manufacture, but you can seldom get that noodle in restaurants these days. I love it.

Time: 29th May 2012 9:41am

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snottiegobble says...
Caustic soda?? Now must be really good for your guts!!It must be no chemicals or nothing for me!

Time: 29th May 2012 12:38pm

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MaryT says...
SG do you not not cook with salt? Sodium Chloride? Baking soda - Bicarbonate of Soda? Vinegar - acetic acid? The lye water used for Chinese noodle is sodium carbonate (washing soda) not sodium hydroxide (caustic soda). If you've eaten yellow coloured noodles or pasta, you've eaten it.

Time: 29th May 2012 5:03pm

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Julie says...
From what I know sg, the caustic soda is well and truly washed out of the olives before the next step. I think it removes the bitterness.

I don't mind using it if it is removed in the process - friends of mine did their olives like this years ago.

I use a dilute solution of caustic soda to sterilise bottles, then rinse really well, when I freeze milk or orange juice.

Rats! Just read Brendan's link, and it only applies to green olives. I want recipes for black olives.

Time: 29th May 2012 8:42pm

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Original Post was last edited: 29th May 2012 8:48pm

About the Author Julie
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Julie says...
Well, I don't need recipes any more. Went out with my bucket a couple of days ago and every one was gone!

I didn't think birds ate olives - a friend had to teach his chooks to eat them, as they weren't interested initially.

But what else could it be?

Time: 6th June 2012 9:16pm

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Jantina says...
The black cockies await the ripening of our olives with beaks and claws at the ready and take the lot in a couple of days if not netted (we have about a hundred trees). I love those cockies though, they come through in huge flocks and sound just like excited schoolchildren on an excursion to the beach!
By the way, the soaking and changing of the water takes the bitterness out of the olives, that's how I do them (if I can beat the cockies to some).

Time: 8th June 2012 9:14am

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Julie says...
Thanks Jantina. I rarely get black cockies here (they prefer the nearby orchards!) but do get lots of 28's.

They are already munching my oranges, which aren't quite ripe yet. I know I will lose 70%-80% of them.

I'll net the tree next year, as it is probably still small enough. Or can I prune it to keep it small?

Time: 8th June 2012 8:01pm

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Original Post was last edited: 8th June 2012 8:02pm

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Robauz says...
I strongly recommend using an authoritive souce such as this one from the uni of california. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8267.pdf

You'll find it on a search for Olives safe methods for home pickling

I'm alarmed at the number of recipes that don't have the inclusion of an acid in the preservation process. I use the water cured method, which is easy, but requires daily changes of fresh water before the final brining for a month or so.

Time: 20th May 2018 12:32am

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Markmelb says...
Why Acid?? green olive curing uses An Alkali - sodium hydroxide. I prefer rock salt curing - quick and easy then you can brine with an olive oil topping or small amounts in straight olive oil.

Time: 20th May 2018 2:10pm

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