Recipe :: Pickling Olives

During our trip to Clare Valley in September, we harvested olives by the side of the road. It was an exciting experience as it was the first time for us. It all started from an evening chat with our fellow camper. We were both delighted about the abundance of olives on the Riesling Trail. I thought pickling was a very labourious and long process but she explained the quick and easy way. It would be fun to harvest some with the children. She gave me the basics about the harvesting and pickling process. 

We need to pick olives that have a bit of give in them when you squash it between your fingers. The really ripe ones literally fall off the trees and they are good to harvest too.
Harvesting period for olives is from April/May to September harvesting season.

We harvested about 1 litre worth. The container was placed in the cooler bag for transportation. When we arrived to our accommodation in Adelaide, we placed the harvest in the fridge.  Then placed it cooler bag transported to Melbourne. When we arrived back home, we placed them in the fridge again. Finally, taking them out on the day I pickled them.


Ingredients:

• Ripe olives
• Non-ionised salt (Why not ionised? Make your own informed choice: https://www.ecowatch.com/9-different-kinds-of-salt-which-is-the-healthiest-1891079937.html)
• Sterlised glass jars (pour hot water onto the jars and lids. I recycled mine from pasta sauce, and jam jars).
• Water
• Cling film

Method:

• Wash olives. Pull off stems and pick out leaves and debris
• Drain
• Slit or slightly squish them. This lets the salt / brine to penetrate through the flesh and remove the glucosides (oleuropein) from the olives. Otherwise, the bitterness will stay longer in the olives.
• Boil water in a pot over the stove
• Add salt until the boiling water is saturated (until the salt does not melt anymore) 
• Let brine cool.
• Pack olives tightly into sterilized jars
• Some olives will float. So best to pack them tightly. 
• Cling film between glass jars and lids. Tighten.
• Place in a cupboard and wait patiently
• Turn jars once a week or two
• Taste test after 3-4 weeks or more. If there is no more bitterness, they are ready!

• Once they are ready, pour out the brine
• Fill the jar with clean, cool water
• Leave in the fridge for 24 hours
• Taste test. If they are still too salty, fill the jar with clean, cool water and return to the fridge for another 24 hours (the water takes the salt out of the olives)
• Taste test. 
• Add desired combination of garlic cloves, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, and lemon slices mixed in with the olives to jazz the olives up

Reflection:
Since we are harvesting as we go, depending on the amount of time we have, how many jars and availability of olives, the ratio of salt to water is not fixed. Thus this method is adopted.
How many jars do I need? How much water do I need? First, I pack the olives in the jars to see how many jars I need. I put the olives on one side. Then I wash the jars and fill them up with water. I put this water into the pot. Only then, I will sterilise the jars.

I can't wait for the next harvest - hopefully pickled as soon as they are harvested!