Lye-Cured Green Olives
A patient lye-curing method for preserving olives yields delicious results.
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Instructions
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Rinse olives and place them in a 2-gallon food-grade container.
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In a separate container, wearing rubber gloves, mix 5 tablespoons lye into 5 quarts cold water using non-aluminum utensils.
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Pour this lye solution over the olives, ensuring full coverage (weight if needed), cover, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
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Drain the olives. Prepare a fresh lye solution (5 quarts cold water, 5 tablespoons lye) and soak olives for 12 more hours.
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Drain and rinse. Cut the largest olive; if the lye has reached the pit, the cure is complete. If not, repeat the 12-hour lye soak with a fresh solution, then drain and rinse.
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Soak olives in fresh cold water, changing it at least three times daily for three days. Taste an olive to ensure no lye flavor remains.
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In a clean container, make a brine with 5 quarts cold water and 5 tablespoons sea salt, then soak the olives for at least one day.
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Transfer the olives to pint jars for refrigerated storage, lasting up to one year.