Olives

[Tengu]

I have a very weak spot for olives...

the greengrocer in the market is selling raw green olives...what do you do with them?

(I hve an olive stoning device...)

 

[Nemesis]

Forget the olives themselves
ice, vodka, good glug of the brine from the olives and a whiff of vermouth
Leave to sit for a minute
strain and drink.
Dirty martini. Lovely.

 

[British Red]

All you need to know

http://m.wikihow.com/Cure-Olives#

 

[Shewie]

This might help ..

http://www.wikihow.com/Cure-Olives

I never knew they were bitter right off the bush

EDIT:

Too slow

 

[British Red]

They are disgusting when ripe Rich. They have to be cured.

Now a warm fig from the tree is a different matter!

 

[Toddy]

Too much bother unless you're growing them yourself....away to Lidl's....great big pickle jar size full for well under £2.
We pile them on salads
They also do the big queen sized Greek ones for £3 something or other too.

M

 

[British Red]

I think its fascinating to do your own and understand the process. Try a kilo Tengu and see what you think.

 

[Toddy]

I think its fascinating to do your own and understand the process. Try a kilo Tengu and see what you think.

Yes, it is, but Tengu's watching her budget and fresh olives don't come cheap or even reasonably priced, in the UK.
Kind of surprised that there are raw olives available just now, since the season is so short and they don't keep well unprocessed.

M

 

[British Red]

Each to their own. I guess she knows what they cost. I would always rather make my own pickles rather than buy them. Those cheap ones have real rubbish in them. Good olives are a revalation. I would rather have half the number and twice the quality.

 

[Toddy]

Those cheap ones only have brine in them. I don't like wee bits of weird stuff in my olives. If I want filled ones I'll buy brined ones and stuff them myself.

For the life of me I cannot understand how someone ever thought it a good idea to shove a bit of deid fish into an olive and thought it a good thing

M

 

[British Red]

Try a freshwater cured green olive one day. Its worth it.

 

[Toddy]

I have tried the ones that had been soaked in lye, and then re-plumped in fresh, is that the ones you meant ?

Upfront, I admit my salt addiction I wouldn't miss sugar all that much, but oh, I'd miss salt.... the lyed olives I found kind of bitter and oily.

I don't have very sophisticated taste buds, do I ?
I quite like the big Greek ones stuffed with almonds though.

M

 

[Macaroon]

For the life of me I cannot understand how someone ever thought it a good idea to shove a bit of deid fish into an olive and thought it a good thing M

Not much wrong with the wonderful taste of Achovy-stuffed olives as long as they're decent quality; although you may be a vegetarian?

 

[Toddy]

Yes, and I'm allergic to fish.

I view fish stuffed olives with the same horror that I do pizza covered in wee hairy fishy bits

Each to their own though.

M

 

[British Red]

I have tried the ones that had been soaked in lye, and then re-plumped in fresh, is that the ones you meant ?

Upfront, I admit my salt addiction I wouldn't miss sugar all that much, but oh, I'd miss salt.... the lyed olives I found kind of bitter and oily.

I don't have very sophisticated taste buds, do I ?
I quite like the big Greek ones stuffed with almonds though.

M

Nononononono

Daily changes of soft fresh water to leach the ick out of them

THEN brine pickling

That way the bitter flavours are removed but you still get the salt kick

Cheap arsed olives just chuck them in the brine and say "done". All those off flavours are held in. Nasty.

 

[Toddy]

The ones I buy are not bitter. I know the bitter ones you mean, and like too 'peppery' extra virgin olive oil, it taints the taste buds for ages.

The pale green unstuffed ones are very mild, with just a salty kick to them

I like olive oil for dipping bread into, but too many of the supposedly 'high quality' E.V. ones are really not good, not even with vinegar.

M

 

[galopede]

Mmmm, anchovies...

 

[British Red]

Love their salty fishy goodness

 

[oldtimer]

Olives grow wild in the abandoned farmsteads in the hills behind our place in France. I picked one off a tree to taste once. Four hours later I was was still trying to get the foul, bitter taste out of my mouth. I buy them in our village market now where there are two stalls selling a range of about a dozen types. My favourites are the anchovy stuffed ones, but I am also partial to the big black ones. Delicious with a glass of Banyuls produced by the wine maker at the end of our street.

Although I have always been into making and brewing from locally gathered resources, there are three things I leave to the experts: olives, cheese and wine!

 

[Robson Valley]

Wine isn't too difficult to brew with good grapes.
BUT
Olives and cheese get made by the experienced experts.
Can't say as I mind a few queen greens stuffed with garlic cloves.