After all the sweets and indulgences over the holidays, I am glad to get back to setting up my savory pantry. When I was at the market last week, I found some fresh black olives to preserve “sotto-sale”.
One of the oldest ways of preserving food in the world, salting.
One of the benefits of living in the middle of olive groves, is that often you can find abandoned olive trees and make these for free.
The process is simple. Layer fresh black olives with pure sea salt. I use the sale grosso which is the larger salt, as I find it easier and doesn’t “melt” as fast, but the woman I bought the olives from, Francesca, uses the fine salt. Italian salt has no added iodine or other products, in America you would use what is called pickling salt.
Each day you drain off the bitter water which is being released from the olives.
When they stop giving off the liquid, they are ready.
Rinse and then rub with oil and they are ready to eat.
You can then also add other flavors, such as garlic, chili pepper or lemon zest.
Francesca suggest freezing them to maintain them better as they can get moldy, but in my house a kilo of olives doesn’t last long!
One of my favorites!
I love these – now I just need to find an olive tree in Minnesota…
Can you use sea salt?
in the recipe I say I use pure sea salt, important not Iodized!
Oh how awesome it would be to live surrounded by olive trees.
These look amazing! Thank you for sharing! You have a great blog. Every time I am in Italy I drive through Tuscany on my way north to Emilia-Romagna, and visiting your site has brought me back 🙂 I try to get back as often as possible and live as an Italian for stretches of time, even though I live New York City. How wonderful it must be to be there permanently!
How lucky I am! Living surrounded by olive trees that nobody harvests. Right in the heart of Las Vegas, on the beaten path of the Strip and Fremont Experience.
I will definitely try this method and have them tasted by my daughter who loves black olives.
Can they be shipped in the US from Nevada to Washington state??
i would think you can package them when done– in a tupperware container to ship.
Thunderwood Olives (south africa) make ‘salt dried olives’ the old spanish/country way..Owner rick holton was taught by mrs Gomez (90 year) in fuengirola/spain when he lived there..they need to be made with passion/love and patience..
Question:
For the 2-3 weeks, do I keep the lid on the jar closed or open after I add the olives & salt?
I am not sure which!
Thanks.
i didn’t mention covering the olives. But if you do cover them, drain off the liquid which forms at the bottom of the jar daily. Some people i know do it in cloth and hang the olives outside and let them drain.