Olives can be found in trees or bushes.Freshly picked olives have a bitter taste at first.olives are cured in brine or a solution of salt and water to remove their bitterness.Once cured, olives can be eaten as a snack or used in a dish.
Step 1: Pick olives during the late summer or early fall.
In the late summer or early fall, olives are usually ripe.Ripe olives are shaped like an oblong and should have a soft exterior.As they become riper, olives start as green olives.Green olives are less bitter than Ripe purplish olives.Green olives are softer than ripe olives.Underripe olives have a longer shelf life.Depending on variety, temperature, amount of sunlight, and irrigation, olives may be ripe at different times.The olives are not fresh.If you see olives that are overripe, discard them.
Step 2: You can get olives from the olive bush or tree.
Lower hanging branches have olives on them.Pull the olives from the tree by wearing a pair of gardening gloves.The olives should be placed in a bucket or bag.You can find olives under the tree.
Step 3: Hit the tree with a rod and harvest a lot of olives.
There is a tarp under the olive tree.Then, hit the olive-bearing branches with a rod or stick.The olives will fall to the tarp below.Pick up the olives that you knocked off the tree.Don't hit the branches too hard.The majority of olives are ripe in the late summer or early fall.
Step 4: Under cold water, rinse the olives.
You can rinse the olives with water.Continue rinsing them for 30 seconds to 1 minute to remove any dirt, dust, or pesticides that may be on the olives.Let the olives dry after you're done.
Step 5: The pits from olives can be removed with a cherry or olive pitter.
Press down on the handle to push the olives out of the pitter.You can buy olive or cherry pitter at certain stores.One of the main sources for the olive's bitterness is the pit.It is optional to pit your olives.If you don't remove the pits, it will take longer to cure them.You can't grow an olive bush or tree from olive pits, so it's best to discard them once you're done.
Step 6: If you don't have a pitter, press down on the olives with a kitchen knife.
You can use a kitchen knife to remove the pit from the olives if you don't have a pitter.Press down with your palm on the flat side of the kitchen knife to remove the olives.The kitchen knife method may crush olives, which is not as visually appealing as using a pitter.
Step 7: Put the olives in a container.
The olives should be placed in a container with a lid.There should be at least 1 inch of space between the olives and the lid.The curing process must be done correctly if the container is to be airtight.
Step 8: The water should be boiled for 1 cup per 1.5 liters of salt.
Purchase or use a coarse variety of salt.If you boil enough solution, you can fill the entire jar.Bring the solution to a boil by filling a pot with water and salt.Remove the solution from the heat after 1-2 minutes.This solution will help remove the bitter taste from your olives.The component that makes olives bitter is called oleuropein.The salt and water brine will help remove the chemical that makes olives bitter.
Step 9: The container should be filled with brine.
Make sure that all of the olives are submerged in the brine by pouring the solution into the container.The hot brine will help seal your olive container.If you don't have enough brine, make more.You don't have to fill the jar all the way to the top, just high enough to cover the olives.
Step 10: Place the container in a dark place for a week.
It is possible to store olives in a dark and shady place.The process removes bitterness from olives.Make sure the container is not leaking and that the lid is tight.
Step 11: If you want to taste an olive, wait a week.
The olives have been sitting in the brine for a week.You may be done here if you prefer olives to be bitter.If you want your olives to taste less bitter, add more brine to them and then reseal them for another week.The olives should be as bitter as you want them to be.The process may take up to 5 weeks.
Step 12: The olives are good to eat.
You can eat the olives, add them to a dish, or store them and eat them over time.The olives should be kept in the brine solution.