| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Garden_artist |
Posted - Jun 15 2006 : 10:52:31 AM
I search the other postings and didn't see anything listed, but my grandfather use to cure green olives in crocks and I would love to try this myself. Does anyone have past experience with this?
When I feel spring coming I have to plant or I’ll go crazy! |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rabbithorns |
Posted - Jun 16 2006 : 9:11:39 PM
Are they sick?
(sorry)
http://www.rabbithorns.etsy.com |
| JudyBlueEyes |
Posted - Jun 15 2006 : 12:42:37 PM
Ooh! Ooh! Mr. Kotter! I got this one! But first, Tammy, you have to tell me where in Southern Oregon you are getting fresh olives! When I lived in San Diego, olive trees were everywhere. That is one thing I miss about moving to Spokane. There are several ways to cure olives and I would be happy to send you copies of recipes I have used. I haven't done this for several years, so some of this will be sketchy. I'll email you for your address so I can mail the recipes. My favorite way to cure olives was my first introduction to using lye - yes, sodium hydroxide! Now I use it all the time in soapmaking, but I had already used it with the olives, so I wasn't so shy of it when I started making soap. But I digress. So first you pick your olives and wash them and put them in a crock that has enough headspace that they will be covered with water. Cover them with water and measure how much water you have. Then you use "x" tablespoons of lye to each gallon of water (and the "x" isn't a secret, I just don't remember). You put the lye into the water, slowly, it will get warm, and then pour over the olives in the crock. (SAFETY: All the while you're dealing with the lye, you should wear rubber gloves and eye protection. Also have some apple cider vinegar close by in case you splash any on your skin, the vinegar will neutralize the lye.) Then you cover the olives with a plate that you weight down with a rock or heavy object, so all the olives are submerged. The next step is to rinse the olives and repeat with another lye solution. With the lye solution, you let the olives set in the crock for one or two days (again, memory fails) and then you start on a salt water solution. Instead of the lye, you use salt and then when you're done curing them (in about 2 weeks) you can them. Now I will confess that against all warnings, I never used a pressure canner, just a hot water bath for an hour, but I never killed anyone either, and only got rave reviews from the finished product.
Another way I have tried is the salt cure. You just get a sturdy basket, line it with cheesecloth or similar, layer salt, olives, salt, olives, etc. Then you have to move them around every day (I think) and add more salt as needed. This again takes at least two weeks, and I think a dry climate is preferred. You end up with a wrinkly, salty olive, which the recipe says to pack in olive oil with a bit of orange rind (if I recall correctly). I only did this once. They tasted good, but were salty and I try to watch the old salt intake. There is another method I haven't tried, but have the recipe, and it is just a water cure. You do like the lye/salt water cure, but just use water and it takes several months. Anyhow, that's what I know, and I'll get your address so I can mail you the recipes, if you like. Have Fun! Judy
The Rooster crows, but the Hen lays the egg. ~ Texas Proverb |
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