Bottled Olives
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the brine
Soak the olives in fresh water for 12 to 24 hours.
In a kettle, combine 100 gallons of water, 42 pounds of coarse sea salt, and 1 pound of alum.
Bring the brine to a boil.
Run the brine into a tank or cask with a wood faucet about 6 inches from the bottom.
Cover the tank or cask tightly to keep out dust.
Bottle and seal
Fill the bottles with the brine, leaving minimal air space.
Cork or cap the bottles and seal them tightly.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Green olives
- The main food being preserved; soaking in fresh water starts the process before brining.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the olives and preserves them in a concentrated brine.
- Alum
- Firms the olive flesh so it resists softening during brining.
The step that matters
Covering the tank tightly. A tight cover keeps dust and airborne microbes out of the open brine, reducing the risk of spoilage and off flavours during storage.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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