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LA CONDA RANCH INC. - FREE RECIPES PROCESS FOR GREEN-RIPE OLIVES This process will produce straw-yellow to green or brown olives. Choose fruit that is green, straw-colored, or cherry-red. Do not use black-ripe fruit, because it is likely to become soft when pickled. 1. Prepare a solution of 2 ounces (about 4 level tablespoons) of lye to each gallon of water. Use a wooden, glass, or stoneware container. Never use an aluminum container, because lye will ruin it, or a galvanized metal container, because the zinc will dissolve and may make the olives poisonous. Stir the solution until the lye is well dissolved. 2. Cover the olives with the lye solution early in the morning. Place a towel or cloth over them and push it down tightly to keep the olives submerged. Stir the olives with a lath or a wooden or stainless steel spoon every 2 or 3 hours until the lye reaches the pits. This usually takes 10 to 12 hours. You can judge the amount of penetration by cutting sample olives to the pit with a sharp knife at intervals of 1 or 2 hours. The lye solution discolors the flesh to a yellowish green color. If the lye has not reached the pits by bedtime, remove the lye solution and cover the olives with water. Next morning, pour off the water and cover the olives with a solution of 1 ounce (about 2 level tablespoons) of lye per gallon of water and let stand until the lye reaches the pits completely. This may take as long as 30 hours if the fruit is quite green. 3. Remove the lye solution and discard it. 4. Rinse the olives twice in cold water, then cover them with cold water. Change the water 4 times each day until you can no longer taste the lye in the olives. This may take as long as 7 or 8 days. Expose the olives to air as little as possible during the lye treatment or washing. 5. Prepare a salt brine containing 4 ounces (about 6 1/2 level tablespoons) of salt per 1 gallon of water. Dissolve the salt thoroughly and cover the olives with the solution. Let it stand for 2 days. The olives are now ready for use. Store them in a cold place, preferably in a refrigerator. SPANISH-STYLE GREEN OLIVES You can identify the Spanish-style green olive by its green skin, light flesh, and light brownish-buff pit. Its characteristic flavor and aroma, imparted by lactic acid fermentation, make it an appetizing pickled olive. 1. Use olives picked when green to straw-yellow in color. Avoid bruising them since all such marks are accentuated in the pickled fruit. 2. Place the sorted fruit at once in a cool lye solution (65 to 70 degrees F maximum) to destroy most of the bitterness. It is best to treat Queen olives (the Sevillano variety) in a solution made with 1 3/4 to 2 ounces (3 1/2 to 4 level tablespoons) of lye per 1 gallon of water, because they frequently blister and peel when treated with a stronger solution. Cover with cloth or burlap and push them down tightly to keep the olives submerged. 3. Allow the lye to penetrate about three-fourths of the way to the pit. A little residual bitterness should remain. You can judge the penetration by cutting olives to pit with a knife and observing the extent of discolored flesh. 4. When lye penetration is completed, remove the solution and quickly replace it with cold water to leach out excess lye. Change the water every 4 to 6 hours during a 24- to 30-hour period. Avoid prolonged washing and undue exposure of the fruit to the air since it may result in an undesirable darkening. 5. After washing, quickly pack the olives in suitable containers and cover with a salt solution. Prepare and cover them with a brine made with 9 1/2 ounces (about 15 1/4 level tablespoons or 1 cup minus 2 1/4 teaspoons) of salt per 1 gallon of water. 6. Choose the number and size of containers depending on the quantity of olives. One gallon of olives in brine contains about 5 1/2 pounds of fruit. It is best to use glass-topped canning jars (not smaller than 1 quart). Do not fasten lids firmly. For larger quantities of olives, you can use 1- to 5-gallon glass jars or kegs or larger sized oak barrels. 7. Store the olives in a place where the average temperature does not exceed 100 degrees F. Fermentation will be most rapid at temperatures between 70 degrees and 90 degrees F. Keep the containers full of brine at all times. During the period of active fermentation (4 or 5 days), when gas formation causes excessive foaming and frothing, take care to replace any brine lost. Later, when gas production is not so violent, firmly tighten the closures enough to exclude the air and keep film yeast and mold growth at a minimum. You must constantly replace all brine lost. This brine should contain 9 1/2 ounces (about 15 1/4 level tablespoons or 1 cup minus 2 1/4 teaspoons) of salt per 1 gallon of water. 8. Since the development of the desired degree of acidity in the fermented olives depends on the presence of lactic acid bacteria, it may be necessary to add "starters" of these bacteria that are contained in bulk (unheated) dill pickle or sauerkraut brine. Add this brine at a rate of 6 fluid ounces (about 3/4 measuring cup) per 1 gallon of olives and brine. The addition of this "starter" is particularly recommended for Mission and Manzanilla varieties and is sometimes required for the fermentation of Sevillano. 9. Fermentation is complete when the desired acidity and taste characteristic of Spanish-style green olives have developed. Completely fill the containers with brine, close tightly, and store in a cool place until you use the olives. 10. Discard any fermenting olives that develop a rancid, foul odor. If you have any doubt whatever about the edibility of the olives, dispose of them. SICILIAN-STYLE OLIVES Sicilian-style olives are fermented and have about the same characteristics as the Spanish-style olives. However, they are somewhat more bitter, because they are given no lye treatment and are prepared in a spiced brine. 1. Use green olives of any variety, although it is common to use Sevillano. Place them in a barrel or glass-topped fruit jar. 2. Add dill pickle spices, about 1 rounded tablespoon per 2-quart jar, or 1 level tablespoon per quart. Also add a little fennel seed (1/2 level teaspoon per quart), or add a sprig of fresh fennel or dill. You may prefer to make a "hot" seasoning by adding whole peppercorns and whole red peppers to taste. It is also common to add garlic as a seasoning. 3. Prepare the salt solution as described for Spanish-style green olives. Add 1 pint of vinegar to each 10 pints of solution and fill the jar or barrel. Store the container of olives at about 70 degrees F. 4. Do not seal. Place the lid on, but not tightly. Replace any lost brine as directed for green olives. 5. When all gas formation ceases (within 2 months), seal and store until the olives are of the desired flavor. It usually takes a total of 4 to 6 months from the time of filling the jar or barrel to the completion of the process. The olives will remain somewhat bitter and will acquire a flavor somewhat like that of Spanish-style green olives, yet will be pleasingly different if spiced. |