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How to Cure Olives

You can cure olives at nearly any stage, but the really tiny green ones aren’t really worth it. We sell raw green olives that grow from medium to super large. Grown with tender loving care in the sunny Central Valley area of California, USA. The differences between green and black olives are their ripeness and method of preparation. If interested in purchasing some of our raw olives visit our Raw Olive Order Page. You’ve got several choices, depending on your curiosity and fanaticism.

Every hour on the hour for the next 12 to 14 hours remove lid and plate and mix the olives thoroughly from top to bottom while swirling the stick at a slight angle.  Be sure to use gloves during this process so as to not get lye on your skin.  You will notice that the water will eventually turn to a brownish color.   The dark brown color indicates that the lye solution is removing the bitterness from the olives.

Olive trees, however-which have a very long life-don’t stop producing fruit just because they’ve become mere decorations. Literally tons of olives go to waste in southern California every year! Part of the crop, of course, is consumed by starlings, one of the few birds that will eat the bitter berries. The lush oval fruit also makes super ammunition for the slingshot set (the ripe ones find their target with a satisfying purple splat).

Start tasting olives after about two weeks to check on bitterness. When you are happy with the taste of the olives drain the salt water, rinse, shaking of excess water.

Place the olives in cold water. Completely cover all of the olives, make sure none are poking out. This can be done in a pan. You may need to weigh them down with something. At least once a day, change out the water with fresh, cold water. Make sure you don’t forget, otherwise bacteria could build up in the water.

Wash olives. With a sharp knife, make a cut in the meat of the olive (top to bottom) without cutting the pit. In a pan, soak the olives in brine (1 part salt to 10 parts water). Make sure the olives are submerged (use something to weight them down) and cover. Cure the olives for 3 weeks, shaking the pan each day and changing the brine each week, then taste for bitterness (they could take up to 5-6 weeks depending on the olives). When they taste the way you want, place in jars with brine (1 part sea salt to 10 parts water), add 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and top with a layer of olive oil.

Growth Habits: The olive is an evergreen tree growing to 50 ft. in height with a spread of about 30 ft. The tree can be kept to about 20 ft. with regular pruning. The graceful, billowing appearance of the olive tree can be rather attractive. In an all-green garden its grayish foliage serves as an interesting accent. The attractive, gnarled branching pattern is also quite distinctive. Olives are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. The trees are also tenacious, easily sprouting back even when chopped to the ground.

Pickling. Prepare a vinegar-water solution – equal parts vinegar and water. Add salt to the vinegar-water solution: ½ to 1-cup salt per gallon – do not omit salt as it prevents bacterial growth. Add garlic an spices if desired. Cover tightly and store at room temperature. Good for 4-5 months at room temperature or 10-12 months in the refrigerator.

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