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.
Curing olives is a seasonal ritual that arrives with autumn across the Mediterranean. With little more than water, salt, and patience, hard raw olives mellow into the briny bite we all love. Doing it at home means clean olives with no industrial additives.
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.
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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.
Ingredient Swaps
Green olives: use local or any unripe olives.
Flavor: add lemon slices and chili for extra kick.
Salt: coarse, non-iodized sea salt is best.
Common Questions
Why are the olives bitter at first?
A natural bitter compound that soaking in salted water slowly removes.
How long does curing take?
From a few weeks to months depending on size and bitterness.
How do I know they're ready?
When the bitterness is gone and the taste is balanced.
How do I store them?
In brine in a sealed glass jar in a cool place.
Why must the olives stay submerged?
To keep out air and prevent mold.
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