Green Ripe Olives:

Recipe Courtesy of the Olive Source

Downloaded from the

Cañada College Olive Festival Web Site

October 6th & 7th 2001 10am-5pm

Lye treated green olives

A. Lye treatment - lye can be purchased at hardware stores. Don't use an aluminum pot or it will leach out the zinc

1. Soak 12 hours in lye solution - 4 tablespoons lye in 1 gallon cold water. (Solution should not be over 64 to 70 F before adding olives.) stir occasionally. 2.Drain, and soak 12 more hours in fresh lye solution. Cut into a large olive - lye will change the flesh to a yellow-green, penetrating to the pit. 1.If the lye has not penetrated to the pit, soak an additional 12 hours in a fresh lye solution.

B. Rinse

1. Rinse in cold water

2.Soak 6 hours in fresh, cold water.

1.Change the water and soak 6 hours in fresh cold water, repeating four times a day for 4-8 days, until there is no lye taste

C.Preservation

To keep up to 2 weeks:

1.Brine cure

l. Cover with salt brine - 6 tablespoons salt per gallon of water. Let stand 2 days. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.

To keep longer than 2 weeks:

2.Brine cure ll.

1. Cover with salt brine - 13 tablespoons salt per gallon of water. Store 1 week.

2. Cover with fresh salt brine - 1 pound or 1 2/3 cups salt per gallon of water. Store in a cool place, preferably a refrigerator. Use within 2-4 months. Before eating, soak olives overnight to remove excess salt. Use with 3 days after soaking.

3. Pickling. Prepare a vinegar-water solution - equal parts vinegar and water. Add salt to the vinegar-water solution: * to 1-cup salt per gallon -do not omit salt as it prevents bacterial growth. Add garlic an spices if desired. Cover tightly and store at room temperature. Good for 4-5 months at room temperature or 10-12 months in the refrigerator.