How to Prepare Salted Olives to Keep Them Always Tasty

By Talha Bukhari - 17 September 2023

Olives are a wonderful addition to meals, snacks, or appetizers. Versatile and adaptable, it would be convenient and useful to always have them available fresh and ready to be nibbled on. So, let’s see how to preserve their flavor and freshness.

Prepare salted olives to preserve their flavor and freshness

How to Store Olives in Salt

To preserve olives in salt, it is necessary to follow some basic steps to ensure that they remain fresh and crunchy for an extended period. First of all, it is important to choose ripe and well-shaped olives without defects or bruises. Opt for green olives, known for their crunchiness and robust flavor, making them an ideal choice for this preservation method.

Next, it’s important to eliminate the bitterness from the olives. Olives contain a bitter compound called oleuropein, which needs to be removed before storage. To do this, soak the olives in cold water and change the water multiple times. The preservation solution is made by mixing water and non-iodized sea salt in a 10:1 ratio. The olives must be completely submerged in the solution.

When it comes to storing salted olives, it’s best to keep them in a cool and dry place. It is also important to tightly seal the container to prevent the entry of air. By following these steps, the olives can be preserved for several weeks or even months. However, it’s crucial to check regularly for any signs of mold to ensure their freshness and quality.

Let’s move on to another method for preserving this food in salt: Begin by taking a glass jar with an airtight seal. Sterilize the jar by boiling it while wrapped in a cloth for about 30 minutes. After that, rinse the olives under running water and make sure to dry them thoroughly. Pour a little salt into the jar and add the first layer of olives. Repeat this process, adding more salt and creating layers of olives until the jar is filled.

After sealing the jar with a layer of cling film, tightly screw on the lid and allow it to sit for 10 days. Once the 10 days have passed, drain the olives using a colander. Then, place them in the oven set at 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) for 10 minutes. Let them cool and put them back in the jar with olive oil. This way, they will be kept crunchy and tasty.