Brining Olives

Brining Olives at home is super easy and it tastes better than store-bought. Olives picked from the tree are inedible due to the bitterness, but humans have been transforming and preserving them for thousands of years. The curing process will take 4-8 weeks, but the hands on time is minimal. After curing the Olives, I'll show you how to preserve it in a brine or in Olive Oil, both methods are so tasty!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Natural and Chemical Free - Olives you buy in the store are often preserved in Lye and stabilizers, no mystery or chemicals in home brining, just Salt, Water, Garlic and Herbs
• Budget Friendly - usually you get Olives from family or friends, in my case I picked them from trees growing on the street. Making homemade Olives are very economical compared to deli prices, a few pounds will last you for months - plus you already have what you need in your pantry
• Natural Fermentation - this probably surprises some people, but slow brine fermentation results in a probiotic boost, similar to Sauerkraut
• Flavor Ideas - why make Olives with only one flavor? I'll show you how to brine Olives with 5 different flavors - try them all - Oil is rich and aromatic (perfect on toast) or Brine is lighter and punchier
• Enjoy Up To A Year - make it once and enjoy from months to a year. Cured Olives in Oil need to be eaten in a few months, but if you finish it in brine, you can keep it in the fridge up to year (but it won't last that long uneaten)

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds of Olives (2kg) - Green Olives are firmer and require longer time to cure, and Black Olives are riper and milder, avoid overripe or bruised fruit
• Non-Chlorinated Water - use spring water or filtered water
• Non-Iodized Salt - use Sea Salt, Pickling Salt, Celtic or even Himalayan, avoid Table Salt which impacts the fermentation
• Apple Cider Vinegar - or can use Red or White Wine Vinegar
• Seasonings - choose your own adventure with Garlic, Oregano, Chili Flakes, Lemon Peels, Fennel...
• Olive Oil - for final storage

Equipment

• Large Non-Reactive Containers - glass jars or food grade plastics or ceramic crocks
• Cheesecloth - to cover jars while fermenting
• Weights - Ziploc Bags are the easiest way for me, but fermentation weights, or even a plate to weigh down Olives in water and brine
• Knife - a sharp knife to slit Olives
• Olive Pitter - to speed up removal of Olive seeds
• Jars for Storing - recommend more smaller jars, easier to try different flavors, less stress to eat up quickly, also great to give away

How to Brine Olives

1. Prepare Olives - sort, rinse and discard damaged Olives. Using a sharp paring knife, slit each Olive lengthways with 2 cuts. This helps to speed up the bitterness removal, even in small Olives. For Black Olives, can crack them using a glass jar until slightly split.
2. Freshwater Soak - place Olives in jar and fill with water until fully covered. Fill a Ziploc bag with water and place in jar over the Olives (to ensure they aren't exposed to air). Drain and change the water daily.
   Taste at Day 5 to see if bitterness is removed, or continue soaking up until 10 days. Black Olives often ready at Day 5, and Green Olives need more days.
3. Pitting Olives - Using an Olive Pitter, remove the Olive pit (the seed), this usually splits Olives into two halves. Alternatively, place ¼ cup Olives on a cutting board. Place a heavy pan on top and press down gently in a circular motion until the Olive Pits pop out.
4. Prepare 10% Brine - for 1 liter of Spring Water, dissolve 400 grams of non-iodized Salt. If using 1 gallon of water, use 1⅓ cup of non-iodized salt. Start by putting salt in a heatproof jug and adding boiling hot Spring Water. Mix until dissolved. Pour into the rest of the Spring Water until cooled to room temperature. Mix in ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar.
5. Add Aromatics - drain Olives and pack into clean jars or fermenting crock. Divide Olives into multiple jars to make different flavors (I divided the batch into 5 flavors). Place 5 cloves of Garlic and 1 Bay Leaf in each jar with a teaspoon herbs and spices.
6. Brining and Fermentation - cover with cooled Brine and add weight to keep it submerged (clean Ziploc bags filled with water or fermenting weight). Cover loosely with cheesecloth and place in a cool, dark cupboard. Gently shake every few days. Olives are ready when tangy-salty without bitterness. Taste at 4 weeks for flavor, and continue brining until 6 weeks as needed.
7. Rinse Olives - Drain Olives and rinse with water if too salty. Place in a colander and run under running water for 2 minutes.
8. Final Storage Brine - make a fresh 8% Salt Brine Solution (with ⅓ cup
   Vinegar). Place rinsed Olives into a bowl. For each 500g (1 pound) mix together 1 teaspoon dried Herbs, 5 Garlic Cloves (thinly chopped), 2 slices of Lemon (quartered) and Bay Leaf cut in half. Stuff into clean jars and pour cooled Brine. Add a thin layer (¼") Olive Oil on top of the Brine in each jar. Close with lid and keep refrigerated up to 1 year.
9. Final Storage Warn Infused Oil per 1 pound( 500g) Olives - this only lasts about 3 months in the fridge. Gently warm 1 cup Olive Oil with Aromatics (Garlic, Herbs, Lemon Peels, Chili Flakes) on low heat for about 3 minutes - DO NOT BOIL. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour over the Olives in a bowl, toss and pack tightly into jars. Top up with extra plain Olive Oil at least ½ inch on top. Seal and Refrigerate. Use within 3-4 weeks after opening.

Brining Olives Flavor Ideas

You can make your Olives all in the same flavor, however I recommend to try different variations. As a rough guide, 1 pound (500 grams) of Olives, add 1 teaspoon of Herbs and 5 cloves of Garlic. I prefer to have the strong flavors. You will need to infuse flavor to the Olives twice - once when curing in the brine, and after rinsing, add fresh herbs and garlic for the final bottling.

• Greek - Bay Leaf, Garlic, Dried Oregano,
• Italian - Bay Leaf, Garlic, Dried Rosemary can use fresh Rosemary if infusing in Oil
• Fennel Olives - Bay Leaf, Garlic, Oregano, Fennel Seeds
• Spicy Olives - Bay Leaf, Garlic, Oregano, Chili Flakes
• Lemon Slices (1-2 per iar) for Brine method Lemon Peels if using Oil

Russian Style Olives

I know that this isn't a traditional method, but I was experimenting with Beet Brine and the classic Slavic flavors with Beets, Garlic, Dill and Vodka. You can finish this in Brine or Olive Oil, I opted for Oil and to enjoy within a few months. Follow this method after the initial water soak and when Olives have the bitterness removed.

1. Initial Brining - 4 liters of Brine, 1 or 2 Beets (peeled and thinly sliced), 10 Garlic Cloves, handful of fresh dill (including dill flower if you have it). Weigh down to keep submerged and ferment 4-6 weeks in a cool, dark place.
2. Rinse and Dry - remove the Garlic, Dill and Beets, rinse Olives if too salty. Using paper towels, pat dry Olives as best as you can.
3. Infused Oil Method - place 1 cup of Olive Oil in a Saucepan, add 5 thinly sliced Garlics, and Lemon Zest or Lemon Peels. Warm on low for 3 minutes to infuse flavors into Oil, do not allow to boil. Add 1 thinly sliced or julienned small Beet into Oil. I salted the fresh Beets with 1 teaspoon Salt to remove liquids. Alternatively can add pickled Beets. Add a splash of Vodka and allow to cool.
4. Brine Method - instead of Oil, toss together rinsed Olives with sliced Garlic, Pickled Beets, Lemon Peels, Dill and Vodka. Place in jars and fill with Brine. Top jars with Olive Oil to help protect from air exposure. This version lasts longer but is milder in flavor.
5. Toss and Pack - in a bowl, mix Olives with Oil mixture. Pack tightly into jars, and top up with extra Olive Oil to keep submerged.
6. Refrigerate - this is not shelf stable, keep in the fridge and enjoy within 2 months. Best to allow flavors to infuse 4-5 days before serving. After opening jar, use within 3-4 weeks. Oil will solidify in fridge, but warms up to room temperature quickly.
7. Serving Suggestions - as part of a Charcuterie or on a antipasto platter with dinner, serve with Zakuski at your next Russian party, pair on dark Rye Bread and picked Herring, add to salads, or just eat straight out of the jar

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Keep Submerged - keep Olives completely submerged under water, monitor for mold and skim away - Kahm yeast is common and harmless. However like all ferments, if in doubt - throw it out.
• Label Jars - write the date, and the flavors. I promise you it will all look the same at the end, and it's easy to confuse
• Water Soaking Varies - depending on the size of the Olive, the ripeness (Green or Black Olives ), cracking or slitting, all this impacts how fast the bitterness leaves. Taste after a few weeks and decide. Green Olives take longer, mine went for 11 days, but Black Olives can be ready in 4 or 5 days. Taste and decide.
• Too Salty - rinse Olives in running water before adding to Brine solution. Final Brine is a lower 8% concentration. If still too salty, soak in fresh water for 30 minutes before serving
• Cloudy Brine - that is perfectly ok, a byproduct of fermentation. Can change Brine if needed. For final clear brine solution, use pure Sea Salt, instead of Celtic or Himalayan.

How Long to Soak Olives in Water?

Anywhere from 4-10 days is typical. If Olives are very cracked can be ready in 2-5 days. For a milder flavor, soak for 10-14. Taste them on Day 5, and let that be your guide.

Do I Have To Change Water Daily?

Yes. The bitterness (Oleuropein) is removed into the water, changing water daily helps speed this process up.

Do You Have To Add Vinegar To Brine?

Highly recommended. It improves safety and adds slight tang. Apple Cider is recommended. Can also use Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar.

How Long Do Home Brined Olives Last?

Once cured, should last up to 1 year in the fridge. This is not shelf stable. If keeping your Olives in Oil, also keep them refrigerated and enjoy within about 3 months (but 3-4 weeks after they are opened in the fridge). Label the dates on the jars, and open the Brined Olives last.

Pickled Recipes You'll Love

• Chinese Pickled Garlic
• Fermented Cabbage - Georgian Style
• Quick Russian Pickles
• Homemade Dill Pickles
• Quick Pickled Carrots
• Russian Sauerkraut - Kvashenaya Kapusta
• Korean Kimchi

Brining your own Olives taps into centuries of Mediterranean tradition and culinary heritage. I know it's trendy to learn how to ferment and preserve, but these skills are vital for self sufficiency and definitely for the better flavors. Olives don't have to be boring, and once you start, you'll want to do this every year. Watch along in the video and start brining. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

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