The Spicing of Olives

Olive making! We didn’t grow the olives obviously, Ivan’s Uncle did. Earlier this week Ivan dropped off a large pot of raw olives with instruction to bathe them every day, dump the lot into a colander and rinse them for five days, that process softens them up. The pot is large and cumbersome but I did it with apron on, they splash into the sink.

Ivan and Lola came over to put the recipe together. First you have to smash them using the bottom of a beer bottle, of course you have to drink the beer first. See the pot on the left, full, lots of smashing! Sometimes they jump off the counter, flying olives, smashed garlic cloves also flew...

Here is Ivan's family recipe: Bitter orange juice, (the kind that grow in the streets here) two bitter oranges cut up, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin, a bit of hot chilli pepper, stir well and let sit for a day and enjoy! Ivan brought all the spices including his Uncle's organic oregano. 

Garlic and bitter orange.

We have enough olives to feed an army. Everyone who comes to this house this next week will be going out with olives! 

Finished product.

It was great fun! Many families here do it and each have different recipes handed down by generations. Pepe tasted them and he would have added more spice, as his father does but he liked the initial flavour, Rocio liked them too. Pepe would add vinegar, as would Lola, whose family also makes their own. Pepe has never made olives with his father and maybe will do now to find out the favoured recipe. Of course it is to individual taste, and what you grew up with is also a factor.

Huge Thanks to Ivan and Lola for this great experience!

Cheers, Bev, Bruce and Lexi Cat who had no part in olive making.