How to make olives in brine
How to make olives in brine
For the preparation of olives in brine use only organic olives (considering that those from conventional agriculture can bring with them systemic pesticides that would remain even after the brine) and not completely ripe. Below we present one of the simplest preparations.
To begin, select the olives, with the elimination of those with some imperfections (such as oxidized bites, stains, etc.), washed and then covered with water in containers where the olives should never be exposed without water (you can use appropriate weights of cork or other suitable material). At this point the water is returned daily for about 15-20 days (which allows to remove a part of the bitter taste).
After this period the brine is prepared, while at the same time the olives should be rinsed with running water and dried on clean cotton cloths.
To prepare the brine, proceed as follows: in a saucepan of adequate size, put the water with salt (in the proportion of 100 grams of salt per liter of water) and, when it is boiled, let the brine cool. At this point the dry olives can be placed in perfectly sterilized jars to which cold brine should be added (possibly with a ladle to cover them). For the cover it is advisable to use well-washed and dried laurel leaves, which will act as a cap, preventing the olives from coming to the surface and oxidizing. After this operation the barrels must be sealed tightly and placed in a cool, dry place away from light. These olives can already be consumed after a week but to allow a light lactic fermentation, which gives that typical slightly sour taste, it is advisable to wait at least a month before tasting them.
For greater preservability of the olives and to avoid the formation of possible molds, once the cans are closed, place them upside down for at least 20 minutes, after which place them in a pot of hot water making them sterilize for about a quarter of an hour.
To this basic preparation there are many variations with addition of various spices to give particular aromas.