Brine-Cured Olives
Brine-cured olives are prepared at home by soaking raw olives in a salt and water mixture for several weeks until perfectly cured.
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Instructions
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Rinse 4 cups raw red or brown olives, discarding stems, leaves, and bruised pieces. Score each olive 1 to 3 times lengthwise.
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Place prepared olives in a nonreactive bowl, cover with 4 1/2 quarts water, and submerge using a weighted plate. Soak for 24 hours.
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Daily, drain the olives and replace with fresh water. Repeat this process for 8-10 days, or up to 20 days for a less bitter taste, sampling periodically.
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Drain the olives. Prepare a brine by dissolving 3 tablespoons of salt in 1 quart of water. Pour over olives, re-weight, and let sit for one week.
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Repeat the previous brining step (draining, fresh brine, re-weight, one week soak) three more times, totaling four weeks of salt brining. Continue weekly brining with fresh water and salt if olives remain bitter.
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Drain the cured olives and transfer them to clean glass jars.
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Prepare the final brine using 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, the remaining 1 pint water, and 1/4 cup red wine or apple cider vinegar. Pour this brine over the olives in the jars.
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Tightly seal the jars and store them in the refrigerator or a cool cellar for up to one year; allow 1-2 weeks for optimal flavor development before tasting.