Oil Cured Greek Style Olives

Recipe Courtesy of the Olive Source

Downloaded from the

Cañada College Olive Festival Web Site

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

It is usually best to prepare Greek-style olives from mature olives that are dark-red to black. Mission olives are commonly used, but any variety will do. Use smallerolives because larger ones get soft. The olives will become shriveled since they are salt cured. These olives are salty and slightly bitter, and you may have to acquire ataste for them.

How To Prepare

Cover the bottom of a wooden box with burlap. Weigh out 1 pound of salt for each 2 pounds of olives. Mix the salt and olives well in the box to prevent mold from developing. Pour a layer of salt over the olives to a depth of 1 inch.

CAUTION Place the box outdoors so that the brine formed will not ruin the floor.

After 1 week, pour olives and salt into another box, then back into the first box to mix them.

Repeat this mixing process once every 3 days until the olives are cured and edible. This usually takes about 30 to 35 days.

Sift out most of the salt through a screen. Dip the olives momentarily in boiling water. Drain. Let them dry overnight.

Add 1 pound of salt to each 10 pounds of olives. Mix and put the olives in a cool place.

Use within 1 month, or store in a refrigerator or home freezer until used.

Just before using, coat the olives with olive oil. Do not use oil if you plan to use the olives for cooking. To coat with oil, put them in a large pan or box and sprinkle a little olive oil over them. Work the olives with your hands to coat them with oil. This type of olive is useful for flavoring stews, tamale pie, spaghetti, and as a relish eaten out-of-hand.

Stan's Black Olives

Day O Wash in running water. Place in flat trays (large surface area)
or plastic ice cream containers. Add boiling hot water and allow to soak for 24 hours.
Day 1 Remove cold water and add dry salt
day 2 Onwards - mix well and keep adding dry salt
After about a week water comes out of the olives - pour off
Total salt = about 15% OF THE OLIVE WEIGHT IE 150 To 200 grams
Test - wash salt off olive and taste. When the salt has penetrate into the olive, wash off salt and add olive oil.
Prof Stan Kailis, University of Western Australia, Perth WA