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Plus, how to flavor your olives for tasty snacks & recipes
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Curing olives is an ancient process that turns the naturally bitter fruit into a deliciously salty and tart snack. Choose the curing method that works best for your type of olive and taste preferences, then follow the step-by-step guide below. Curing olives takes a long time, but doing it yourself allows you to make olives catered to your exact taste.
Curing Your Own Olives
- Wash olives thoroughly and smash them lightly with a mallet.
- Place the olives in a food-grade plastic bin.
- Cover the olives with cold water.
- Change the water twice daily for up to two weeks.
- Brine the olives in a 1:10 mixture of salt and water.
- Let them soak in brine for at least one month before taste-testing.
- Store the olives in an air-tight container filled with a water-and-vinegar brine.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
How to Cure & Brine Olives with Water and Salt
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Choose the best cure for your olives. The two most beginner-friendly options for curing olives are water curing (followed by a pickling brine) and brine curing (which uses saltwater rather than simple water). Both of these methods follow a similar process and can be used with most types of olives, including green, purple, and black. The brine curing method is simpler, but it also may take the olives longer to cure, and they may have a more astringent taste. [1] X Research source
- Water curing is best for most standard olives, including raw green olives that haven’t ripened yet. However, water curing can be a more involved process as you need to change the water daily and brine after curing—which is why some people opt for brine curing. Manzanillo, mission, and kalamatas all work well with water curing.
- Brine curing is best for green olives that are mature but still uncolored, although it can also be used for darker olives. Brine curing is a more straightforward process than doing a water cure followed by a brine, but the taste may not be as pleasant.
- More advanced methods, like dry salting and lye curing , may be necessary for larger fruits like Seville olives.
- Olives contain a bitter compound called oleuropein, which is what gives them their bitter taste and makes them inedible when first harvested from a tree. Curing the olives in water removes their bitter taste and adds a juicy, firm texture and a nutty flavor.
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Select unbruised and pest-free olives. Select olives that haven’t been damaged or infested by any pests, such as the larvae fly. Make sure that they are as unbruised as possible. Look for holes left by insects or birds. If you’re harvesting your olives from a tree, avoid taking too much stem away with the fruit and place the olives gently into your picking container to avoid bruising them. [2] X Research source
- Olives can be picked when green or a little later when they ripen more and turn purple. It’s up to your personal preference on what type of olives you like to eat!
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Cleanse your olives and lightly smash them. Wash your olives thoroughly once you’ve selected the ones you want to cure. In order for the water to be able to reach the insides of the olives, you'll need to break or slit the olives to let the moisture in. [3] X Research source You can do this with a wooden mallet or, more commonly, a rolling pin. Give the olives a light smack, keeping them as intact as possible.
- You want the flesh to tear but don't completely mash it or rip it into several different pieces. You should also take care not to damage the pit.
- If you're concerned about the appearance of the olives, you can slit them with a knife instead. Take a sharp paring knife and make three slits in the olives to allow the water to penetrate.
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Place the olives in a plastic bin and cover with cold water. Use a food-grade plastic bin with a lid. If you’ve decided on a water-cure method, completely cover all of the olives with cold water, making sure none are poking out. Place the bin's cover loosely over the olives and put the container in a cool, dark place. [4] X Research source
- Make sure you use a food-grade container that won't leach chemicals into the brine. A glass container also works well, but you'll need to make sure it isn't exposed to sunlight.
- If you’ve decided on a brine-cure method instead, submerge the olives in a mixture of 1 part salt to 10 parts water.
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Change out the water twice daily for 1 week. Ideally twice a day (but at least once), drain the water and replace it with fresh, cold water. To change the water, strain the olives through a colander, wash the pot, replace the olives, and fill it back up with cold water. [5] X Research source
- When you drain the water, you’ll see a foamy, slimy texture released by the olives—make sure to rinse this substance completely off of the olives before refilling with fresh water.
- If you’re following the brine-cure method , you only need to change the brine once per week and shake the container once per day.
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Taste test the olive after 1 week. After one week of changing the water daily, taste an olive to see if the bitterness is at a level you like. If it is, the olives are ready; if you want the olives to be less bitter, wait a few more days or up to a week (changing the water daily) before moving on to the next step. [6] X Research source
- For the brine-cured method , expect your olives to sit for about 3-6 weeks before being ready to eat.
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Soak the olives in brine for one month, if they haven’t been brined yet. If you’ve cured your olives in water, then they must be brined separately— if you did a brine-cure, you can skip this step . Once the olives have been water-cured, drain them, rinse them, and place them in a large food-safe container. Mix together a combination of 1 part salt to 10 parts water and pour the mixture over the olives—using preferably non-iodized rock or sea salt. [7] X Research source There should be a 3:1 ratio of olives to brine—i.e. if you have a full bucket of olives, you’ll need about a third of a bucket of brine.
- Place a plate over the olives to weigh them down and let them sit for one week in a cool and dark spot.
- Drain the olives and repeat this process, letting them sit for an additional week. Repeat this two more times so that the olives are brining for a month in total.
- If you’re struggling to dissolve your salt in water, add the salt to a separate container and boil approximately ¼ of the water that you need. Pour that water over the salt and stir to dissolve, then add the remaining cold water to get a lukewarm brine.
- Some people argue that you should leave olives to brine for at least three months (or even up to a year!). Taste your olives at each month-mark—if they’re still hard, leave them for an additional month or two.
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Make a flavored finishing brine to store the olives in. The solution that olives will be stored in is typically a solution of pickling salt , water, and vinegar. This finishing brine will both preserve the olives and give them a delicious pickled taste . You can also add herbs and spices like crushed chilies, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and more. Let these olives sit in their new brine for a few weeks to get a fully-infused flavor.
- To make a standard finishing brine for 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of olives, combine 1 gallon (3.8 L) cool water, 1.5 cups (450g) pickling salt, and 2 cups (470 mL) white wine vinegar. [8] X Research source
- For Sicilian-style olives , add vinegar and dill pickle spices to a brine with green-ripe olives (traditionally Sevillanos).
- For Mediterranean-style olives , mix Italian herbs, garlic, and lemon rinds into the brine.
- For Kalamata-style olives , replace the white wine vinegar in the brine with red wine vinegar.
- This is also the stage at which you’d add fillings to your olives if desired. Pit your olives and insert pimentos, anchovies, blue cheese, almonds, garlic, or whatever you like!
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Store the olives in air-tight containers filled with brine for up to 1 year. Drain the olives and place them into an air-tight storage container with 1 inch (25 mm) of space left at the top. Pour the finishing brine into the container to completely cover the olives. Place the lid on the container and store the olives in the refrigerator. The olives will keep in their brine for up to a year in the refrigerator. [9] X Research source
- For longer storage, you can also preserve cured olives by placing them in concentrated brine. Combine 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) pickling salt with every gallon of water, then cover the olives and let stand for two days. Add an additional 1 cup (10 oz) of pickling salt for each gallon of brine used, and repeat after another two days. Cover the container tightly and eat within 8-9 months.
- Olives can also be frozen or dehydrated for longer preservation. To freeze olives, pack them into a freezer-safe glass jar (without brine) and keep them for up to one year.
- To dehydrate olives, set your dehydrator to 135 °F (57 °C) and arrange olives in a single layer. Let them dehydrate for about 8 hours. [10] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow are the olives stored or prepared for eating? What if they end up being too salty?Community AnswerAt least one day before consuming, rinse the olives out of the brine. If they are too salty, soak them in fresh water overnight, then marinate them in olive oil and whatever spices and herbs you prefer. For long term storage, put your olives in a glass jar, add herbs and spices, then add one third fresh brine (saturated solution), one third white vinegar and a third olive oil. Put on the lid and store somewhere dark and cool for at least a few months to develop a good flavour. The olives should last for years when preserved properly.
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QuestionWhat is the best way to store harvested olives until I have enough to cure a batch?Community AnswerStore them covered with fresh water, changing it daily if possible. This will also help leach the tannins from the olives.
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QuestionI have purchased black olives produced and packed in Spain. Is there any risk related with health? The black olives have an ingredient containing ferrous gluconate as a color stabilizer.Damir SteberCommunity AnswerThat is a difficult question as it is probably impossible to know just how much of the substance is in your jar. Ferrous gluconate is a source of iron, often prescribed to treat iron deficiency anemia (not enough iron in the body to make oxygen-carrying hemoglobin). As such an adult can be prescribed up to 1 gram a day, and it's hard to believe they would be adding much more iron then that. As with all such things, try one! I'm sure many others have already. If you don't have a problem have a few more. Enjoy. There are many sights that will tell you of side effects and things to look for.
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Tips
- If olives become moldy, soft, or malodorous at any point, do not eat them or even taste them. Dispose of them immediately and disinfect any containers that you plan to reuse.Thanks
- If you notice foaming during lye curing, your olives may have excess oil. Drain the olives and place them in a new lye solution.Thanks
- If blisters or gas pockets form on your olives during a lye treatment, your lye may be too strong or be contaminated by bacteria. Prevent this by testing different lye strengths with smaller samples of olives or by changing the water at frequent intervals during the washing process.Thanks
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Warnings
- Scum may form at the surface of the brine. It isn't harmful as long as the olives are fully submerged, but it should be removed when it forms.Thanks
- Lye burns should be treated by running them under fresh tap water for 15 minutes and then consulting a physician. Never try to neutralize a lye burn with lemon juice or vinegar; mixing acids and bases can be dangerous.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Olives
- Wooden mallet, rolling pin, or knife
- Food-grade plastic bin
- Colander
- Non-iodized rock or salt
- Water
- Pickling salt
- Vinegar
- Herbs (optional)
- Air-tight glass jar(s)
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about the restaurant business, check out our in-depth interview with Nicholas Di Paolo .
References
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cure-olives
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cure-olives
- ↑ https://ksolomon.com/diy-curing-olives-at-home/
- ↑ https://ksolomon.com/diy-curing-olives-at-home/
- ↑ https://ksolomon.com/diy-curing-olives-at-home/
- ↑ https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8267.pdf
- ↑ https://gastrochemist.com/brine-cured-olives/
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cure-olives
- ↑ https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8267.pdf
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To cure olives in brine, place the olives into air tight glass jars with lids, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. Next, mix 3/4 cup of pickling salt with 1 gallon of water and pour the brine into the jars. Store the jars in a cool, dark place for 1 week, then drain the olives and discard the brine. Then, mix 1 1/2 cups of pickling salt with 1 gallon of water and pour the stronger brine into the jars. Store the olives for 2 months in a cool, dark place to finish curing them! To learn how to cure your olives in water, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I processed olives many years ago using lyle mix and the green olives turned out delicious, but it was a rather long, time-consuming and fiddly process. The end results were very good so I'm interested in learning these steps and will definitely try it again. " ..." more
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"I processed olives many years ago using lyle mix and the green olives turned out delicious, but it was a rather long, time-consuming and fiddly process. The end results were very good so I'm interested in learning these steps and will definitely try it again. "
..."
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"I have never done this before, and will try the water curing method first. My neighbor has given me permission to pick her olive tree, so I should have enough to make a big jar for both of us. Instructions are very clear, and the photos are helpful."
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"Now, being the proud owner of a few olive trees, I have successfully dry-cured and tasted our black olives. Your information with pictures is the reason for my success. Thank you."
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"This was my first time curing my olives. I think they came out perfect with just a hint of garlic. Thank you for your step-by-step instructions, they were right on."
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"First time with an olive tree. Will carefully try lye in large glass jars away from kids. Only expense is my time and lye. "
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