Recipe

Brine Cured Seasoned Olves Recipe

Add Step-by-Step Photos	Mystic_river1 / All my dishes 1 year, 7 months ago The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. Judges 9:8 What would the Mediterranean landscape be like today without the olive? The venerable trees with their gray-gre... More Prep:30m Servings:20	Mystic_rive
	his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as lebanon

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Ingredients

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Brine-Cured Seasoned Olives

Sea salt or kosher salt

Water

1 egg, washed

2 pounds firm, unblemished purple or black olives, stemmed

Red wine

Red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 dill sprigs, finely minced

Minced garlic to taste

Directions

Prepare the brine by adding 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 quart of cold water. Use the egg to test the salinity of the solution. When the egg floats to the surface, exposing an area of shell 2.5 centimeters in diameter, the salinity is perfect. Continue adding 1 tablespoon salt and 1 quart of water, retesting with the egg each time, until the right salinity is achieved.

Place the olives and the brine in a glazed, earthenware crock. Use a plate, smaller than the diameter of the crock, to keep the olives submerged below the surface of the brine. Cover the crock with a lid and set it aside in a cool place, for 3 months. Stir the olives once a week. After three months, remove an olive with a slotted spoon. It should be slightly firm to the touch. (In the unlikely event that the olive is soft and/or has a rancid or foul odor, discard it and the remaining olives immediately.) Taste the olive. Most of the bitterness should have disappeared. The color of some olives fades during curing, so don't he concerned if the olives are irregular in color. When submerged in the brine solution and unrefrigerated, the olives keep for up to one year.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the olives you plan to use from the brine to a colander, and rinse well under cold water. Alternatively, soak the cured olives in cold water overnight to reduce excess saltiness. Drain.

Place the olives in a jar or bowl, and add 1 part red wine and 1 part red wine vinegar. Top with a thin layer of olive oil, which acts as a natural seal. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the olives to a serving bowl and mix in the dill and garlic. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any uneaten seasoned olives.

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