Olives...don't know where else to put this

**wolfstar** · 08-29-2009, 08:02 AM

I have an olive tree that is bearing fruit on my property. I took a handful of the fruit and am attempting to cure them in white wine (reisling), garlic cloves, peppercorns and brine.

Anyone else out there mess with curing their own olives?

**arturo7** · 08-29-2009, 08:21 AM

Naw, can't say that I do.

Good luck with it though. In addition to generally kicking ass, olive trees played a very important role in the welfare of early civilizations.

P.S. the dog in your avatar also kciks ass

**wolfstar** · 08-29-2009, 09:40 AM

Micah (that is the dogs name) thanks you. She likes Negra Modelo (the bottle in pic) as well as Bacardi and Rocky Mountain Desert Toads...
She is an Arctic Wolf/Malamute cross....and a f*n nutcase.

I guess I have to wait a month or two before I find out if my curing solution worked. Just like beer...patience is needed

**wolfstar** · 11-03-2009, 05:47 AM

Tried a couple of the olives tonight. Thye were pretty good, though there was still a very subtle hint of the origional sourness. The richness was there, and the garlic and peppercorns imparted some extra character. Going to wait another month...

Chad · 11-03-2009, 12:23 PM

Glad it worked out for you. Having your own olive tree is pretty great. If you want to read up, food writer Michael Ruhlman cured olives recently using lye. Interesting process. I just need to find a source for fresh, uncured olives. Not sure they're readily available in NC.

Chad

JeremyCT · 11-11-2009, 08:27 PM

http://www.oliveaustralia.com.au/Pickling_your_Olives/pickling_your_olives.html
I use the method that is about halfway down the page. The one that only takes about two weeks, and no caustic soda.

There's quite a few olive trees up and down the streets around here. We picked quite a few. Can't beat free food.

Dates, pigeon, and rabbit are also plentiful and legal to pick, or kill (archery, or slingshot), and eat.
Anyone else do any "urban foraging". (please don't bring up dumpster diving)

**wolfstar** · 11-20-2009, 08:44 AM

We don't hunt around here, though we could with all the rabbits and quail. I have been known to pick up the occasional rabbit that strayed in the path of my truck and bring it home for the dogs to knaw on. Only cottontails though, as the jackrabbits have parasites that are bad for pooches.
Along with the olives, we are puting together an enclosure for keeping goats. I would like to take a shot at cheesemaking.

Danny013 · 11-27-2009, 09:51 PM

Once I get a place with a yard I'm going to grab a couple olive trees. Here is a good resource for a variety of curing processes:

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2161/43024.pdf

MSAstoria · 11-28-2009, 12:14 AM

I've cured olives before. They weren't home-grown, I just live in a very Mediterranean neighborhood where you can find stuff like raw olives. Bought a 20 lb. box and they lasted me over a year. I slit them up the side, did several changes of salt water over the course of a month, and then brined them in a lemon juice and vinegar solution with some garlic, peppercorns, and herbs. They came out great. In retrospect, I would have done the salt water for another month. The bitterness leached out, but they were still a little too firm.

**wolfstar** · 12-01-2009, 06:54 AM

so here we are, 7 months later. i tried one tonight...then another...another. Awesome, rich, with a prominent garlic and peppercorn kick. I iether have to plant more olive trees, or find a source for uncured oloves...