Olives
Olives are the bitter fruit of Olea europaea, made edible by lye, brine or salt, and the raw material of the table olives that are cured and fermented around the Mediterranean.
Traditional method
Sicilian-style green brine olives
Sicilian-style olives
Green-ripe olives are fermented in seasoned, vinegar-adjusted brine; UC ANR gives size-dependent salt concentrations and multi-month handling.
History
UC ANR documents a Sicilian-style green olive brine method. The record follows the published style description and does not claim a specific Sicilian household or historical date.
Ingredients
Scaling: source batch only
Green-ripe olivesSort by size; discard bruised or defective fruit. Sevillano is commonly used; for this variety discard rose or red-brown fruit.
Amount not stated
amount packed in selected vesselPickling salt, large olivesUC ANR calls for 10 ounces (about 1 cup) per gallon for large varieties such as Sevillano and Ascolano.
10 ounces per gallon of water
Pickling salt, small olivesUC ANR calls for 1 pound (1½ cups) per gallon for small varieties such as Manzanillo and Mission; use the appropriate one formula, not both.
1 pound per gallon of water
5% vinegarAdd to the brine.
2 cups per gallon brine
Dill pickle spicesOptional. UC ANR also gives ½ teaspoon fennel seed per quart or other seasonings.
1 level tablespoon per quart jar
Method
Risks and precautions · Elevated risk
Incorrect brine concentration or spoilage
The source warns not to change brine concentrations and says to discard olives that become moldy, soft or bad smelling; do not taste questionable fruit.
Hazard sourceUse the correct source-stated salt formula for olive size; keep fruit covered with brine and check for leaks, pressure and spoilage. Do not taste olives that are moldy, soft or bad smelling.
Control sourceUC ANR explicitly says not to alter its brine concentrations. Discard moldy, soft or bad-smelling olives without tasting.
This method adds vinegar to its brine; it is classified as mixed fermentation, not a vinegar-only quick pickle.
- Sort olives by size and discard bruised or defective fruit. Pack in airtight glass jars or food-grade plastic pails/barrels. Add optional seasonings.
- For large olives, dissolve 10 ounces pickling salt in each gallon cool water; for small olives, use 1 pound per gallon. Add about 2 cups 5% vinegar to each gallon of brine.
- Cover the olives with brine-vinegar solution and close lids loosely. Store at about 70°F (21°C). UC ANR reports fastest fermentation at 70–90°F (21–32°C).
- Check regularly for about 2 months. During the first 4–5 active days, replace any lost brine and keep the olives covered. Replacement brine uses 10 ounces salt plus 1⅔ cups vinegar per gallon water.
- When gas bubbles stop within 2 months, tighten lids and store in brine for another 2–4 months or until the desired flavor develops. UC ANR describes cool, dark brine storage for at least 1 year when the olives are properly fermented, jars remain airtight, and lids do not corrode.
Conditions
Fermentation120–180 days
Temperature21.1°C
Temperature controlAmbient, monitored
Places
Unknown
Documented preparation · Place not establishedSicilian-style olive method; geographic origin not established by this source. UC ANR labels the recipe Sicilian-style but does not state that this particular method was documented in Sicily; no mapped country or coordinates are asserted.
Related
Made from
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Sources
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; revised by UC Davis food-safety scientistsInspiration · Geography · Safety
Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling, Sicilian-style olivesExact size-dependent brine concentrations, 5% vinegar addition, temperature, staged fermentation/storage, spoilage caution and traditional-style label.