Pitting Olives At Home
Many Zeea olives come conveniently pitted but, if you have olives with stones that you want to pit before serving or stuffing, there are two methods:
1. With an olive (or cherry) stoner, place the base of the olive on the base of the stoner so that the plunger sits over the top of the olive. Press down firmly and the stone will be pushed out of the olive.
2. If you don’t have an olive stoner you can also pit olives by hand. This technique is easiest to perform on softer black olives but works for all olive types. Start by using a sharp knife to cut the flesh of the olive from top to bottom, making sure you cut deep enough to reach the stone. Next, simply push the flesh back to ease the stone out. If you’re using particularly soft olives you can also gently pinch the olive to eject the stone.
Stuffing Olives At Home
If you have pitted olives or plan to pit them yourself, you also have the option to stuff them with a wide range of different ingredients. Anything goes, as long as it fits! Feel free to experiment with your own stuffing choices or start off with some of the suggestions below.
Green Olives with Pimiento – the deep red pepper contrasts beautifully with the green of the olive, while the flavor is mild but distinctive.
Green olives with almonds – the almond adds an intriguing and pleasant crunchy texture.
Green olives with onion – Use red or white onion for a unique pairing of flavors.
Green olives with garlic – a good cocktail olive, with a distinct flavor.
Green olives with anchovies- a quite delicious, salty olive.
Green olives with capers – unusual and definitely worth trying.
Green olives with orange or lemon peel – the citrus peel adds a fresh, contrasting flavor to the olives.
Preserving Olives At Home
If you buy too many olives or want to refresh canned or bottled varieties, here are a few simple but delicious recipes that not only allow you to store them for longer but also make introduce amazing new flavors.
Garlic Olives
Drain a jar of green olives in brine, keeping half the brine. Pack the jar with the olives, 2 crushed garlic cloves and a pinch of oregano. Mix the brine with enough olive oil and white wine vinegar to fill the jar and pour over the olives. Leave for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Cracked Green Olives
Cut a cross at the top and bottom of 450g/1 lb. of green olives, cutting right through to the stone. Place a layer of olives in the bottom of one large, or several smaller jars, and sprinkle with 15ml/1 tbs. of coriander seeds. Add a garlic clove and 10ml/2 tsp. of oregano and continue making layers, leaving a good 2.5cm/1in at the top of the jar. Fill with olive oil, cover tightly and leave to marinate for at least 2-3 weeks to let the flavors develop.
Marinated Olives
Mix 450g/1 lb. of black olives with 30ml/2 tbs. of red wine vinegar, 1 garlic clove, 1 or 2 whole red chillies or a pinch of chilli powder and 3-4 slices of lemon. Pour the mixture into a large jar or several smaller jars and add sufficient olive oil to cover the olives. Cover tightly and leave for 2-3 weeks at room temperature. Marinated olives are delicious eaten on their own or added to casseroles and salads.