Cured Green Olives
The home-pickler's formula made foolproof: one tablespoon coarse salt per cup of water, plus a tablespoon each of sugar and citric acid per five cups — the sugar keeps the olives firm all year without going soft, and the lemon salt gives a pleasant tang and a beautiful colour.
How to Prepare
Crack or slit the green olives and rinse them well.
If they are very bitter, soak in plain water for a few days, changing the water daily.
Make the brine: 1 tablespoon coarse salt for every cup of water, then add 1 tablespoon each of sugar and citric acid for every 5 cups.
Pack the olives tightly into clean jars with lemon slices and chilli if you like.
Pour over the brine until fully submerged and seal.
Leave to cure for a few weeks until mellow, then store — they keep all year.
Make sure the olives stay fully submerged — any exposed to air will spoil; tuck a clean weight or a rolled grape leaf on top to hold them under the brine.