ingredients
- 2kg fresh black olives.
- 1/2kg coarse salt.
- 1 orange (optional).
- extra virgin olive oil.
preparation
Start by rinsing the olives well under cold water, then dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. This is important because any moisture will interfere with the curing process.
Mix the olives with the salt in a large bowl, making sure they're evenly coated. Pour everything into a sturdy plastic bag and seal it tightly with a clip or tie.
Lay the bag flat in a shallow tray or dish (it might release a bit of liquid as the olives cure), and tuck it away in a kitchen cupboard or pantry. Somewhere dark and cool works best.
Every 3 or 4 days, flip the bag over without opening it. This helps the salt work its way around all the olives. Keep this up for 4 weeks from the day you started.
After the month is up, your olives will look nicely wrinkled and feel firmer. Rinse them under fresh water and place them in a bowl. Cover them completely with clean water and let them soak for 24 hours to pull out the excess salt.
Once the soaking time is done, drain the water, pat the olives dry, and transfer them into clean glass jars. Tuck in a few pieces of orange peel if you like (it adds a lovely fragrance), then pour in the olive oil.
You can fill the jar all the way with oil, or just halfway, depending on your preference.
They'll be ready to eat in about 15 days, though they get even better as time goes on.
Once you've finished all the olives, don't throw out that leftover oil! It's absolutely delicious drizzled over salads or used for cooking. It picks up all that wonderful olive and orange flavor.
I hope you enjoy them!