About six weeks ago I came home from work to this:
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY001.jpg)
Olives are you kidding? I have never played with olives before but let's give it a shot. First off I bit into an olive to taste it. Absolutely horrible tasting. How did anyone figure out these things are edible? Totally bitter!!
I searched online for a recipe and this is the one I decided on
http://winewriter.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/how-to-make-greek-olives-at-home/
Following the recipe I exchanged water daily. This is called water brining. After two weeks of water brining the olives looked like this.
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY013.jpg)
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY014.jpg)
I tried a taste again at the earliest stage to pull (3 weeks) and I felt it was better but could use to go the recipe distance and brined them for another week. Four weeks in total. Then olive sit in a salt brine as per the recipe. I went four days though.
The taste is still not favorable but when brined I think the olives have a solid chance of being a success. At this time the olives looked like this.
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY017.jpg)
Time to start the party. I checked the following for proper ID and all were legit to enter. How could I say no?
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY016.jpg)
Following the recipe I added olive oil and oregano and stirred to mix
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY018.jpg)
Started jars with garlic, jalapeno, and lemon
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY019.jpg)
Create layers of garlic lemon, jalapeno, olives and repeat. Added 1/2 jar of apple cider and topped up with a salt brine. Leave room to add 1/4 inch of olive oil. I think the primary purpose of this is to create a barrier so the air does not contact the olives...and add taste.
(http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i450/jiggerjams/InsulationOlivesRORY020.jpg)
Next time I would deviate away from the recipe and when adding the olive oil and oregano, I would keep a closer tab on the oregano added by stirring and observing then add more if needed
I can not comment on the taste as it is recommended to sit in jars for a month to develop flavor....but I will in January!!
JJ
Those look delicious! I make a big batch every year but usually lye cure them. Let us know how these taste. Maybe I'll give 'em a try next year.
Very nice!
Can I come over in about a month. I would love to try those. I have not gotten to play with fresh olives yet.
Sure. The doors open.
Interesting, I don't like olives myself, but always thought you needed to put them in lactic acid and then lye to remove the taste.
Interesting for sure.
Quote from: KevinG on December 20, 2010, 08:34:37 AM
Interesting, I don't like olives myself, but always thought you needed to put them in lactic acid and then lye to remove the taste.
Yes and no! From what I remember, there is the "Lye" cure, the water cure, and the salt cure (sometimes called oil cure). I don't remember if all cures are for all olives. I think only ripe olives are used with the salt cure.
I am a Olive Freak!
Can't wait for the taste test.
I think you can get that already done and it's called...if I can remember Rachael Ray correctly EVOO? My kids have always enjoyed putting olives on their fingers and eating them. Yuck! I'll take a pass on this one! ???
I can remember around the two week period I started thinking the olives were going bad because they (only a small few at this time)were changing color and an odor was developing. I thought I did something wrong until later on when I recognized the color as being more like a cured olive and more olives started looking like that. Whew!!.
Alton Brown cured olives in one of the episodes of his show Good Eats. Rather labor intensive process involved in curing them!!!
Ray
Yes it was. Hopefully the labor of love thing works out for me. Alton Brown is interesting. Much respect to him!.
JJ
Looks like an interesting experiment JJ. I like olives but don't recall ever seeing a 'fresh' one. As you indicated, I've heard they're inedible.
I'll also be looking forward to the finished product.
I did olives a few years ago, did a bunch of different kinds, last few years I keep missing the season to purchase raw olives, I'll do them again if I can catch them in season, check this out http://beadcreation.tripod.com/homemade_olives_raw_olive_curing_curing_olives_olive_recipies_curring_recipies.htm
Thanks for sharing the link carnie. These recipes sound good too. Wish I had have seen them before to have more selection.
I will PM you mt addy ;D
Looks good.
Hey
Well I used my family as guinea pigs at our family Christmas. The recipe says to wait a month after sealing to enjoy the olives, but if you can't wait the product will be good after a week. We did just that, the olives are good and with more time will only get better. I would say a 7 of 10 score. Everyone liked them...one jar open.....one jar gone :)
The olives were still firm. More firm than any other olive I have had. Not a bad thing, just not preferred. A little more marrying of the flavors over time will make these olives tastier, softer, and top notch. Seriously.
" AND THAT'S NOT ALL!.....as an added bonus for making it this far through the thread I have added an extra bonus. YES YOU heard right an added bonus just for being here. Are you ready? ARE YOU READY?
Ok good....here it is.....
DO NOT THROW OUT THE MARINADE!!!! THIS IS LIQUID GOLD!!!
Versatility is the first thing that came to my mind after tasting past the olive itself. This stuff would be great as a marinade, a baste, a drizzle, a finisher, and a salad dressing. A base for almost anything. First thoughts are this would provide a fantastiic souvlaki with Greek salad dinner. You pick the meat and bread it will happen.
The thing is you will have to do the olives to get the liquid gold. So if you have the chance to try this pictorial for yourself, sign some insurance cause you could be hooked on the marinade and the olives. Becoming a target with no insurance is a bad mix. :D ;D
This recipe is SOLID!!
JJ
Went to my cousin's on Sunday for a family Christmas get together. Lots of excellent food. One of the appetizers she served was large green olives stuffed with blue cheese. I had never had it before and was amazed how the two flavors went together so well. She said she got them at Sam's Club. I did notice when I cut them in half that many of them only had cheese at the hole and not stuffed in the entire cavity of the olives.
Ray
That does sound delish. Thanks.
Wow JJ!
Those look fantastic..great job :)
I love to can but have never tried olives.
Carolyn
Well... From the subject, I thought you were planting trees!
Those look very interesting!!!!