Green olives that turn black during curing are often used as a topping for pizza
It's easier to cure olives than you might think, as they can be cured at pretty much any stage of ripeness. The only ones that aren't worth curing are very small green ones or any olives that have fallen to the ground and may be rotting. You can either brine cure olives that are already black, or lye-cure green olives to make them turn black.
Instructions
Brine Curing
1. Pick the olives from the tree. Make a deep slit in each one with a very sharp knife.
2. Make the brine using ¼ cup of canning salt to 1 qt. of water.
3. Place all the olives in the brine, ensuring they are fully immersed. Put a board with a weight over the top if necessary.
4. Cover the container and leave for a week, stirring once a day.
5. Change the brine once a week for three weeks. If you see a layer of scum forming on the top, it's harmless, but spoon it off.
6. Taste the olives after three weeks. If they taste bitter, leave for another week and keep tasting until they're ready. Black olives that are cured in this way will acquire a deep purple color like Greek Kalamata olives.
Lye Curing
7. Pick the olives.
8. Mix 2 tbsp. of flake lye with 1 qt. of water.
9. Put the olives in a container with the liquid and immerse for 12 hours. Allow some air to get into the liquid before covering.
10. Make another mixture of lye and water and change the solution. Immerse for another 12 hours. After this, pick out a few of the bigger olives to check if the lye has penetrated them; they should be soft and fleshy.
11. Immerse olives in water for three days, changing the water three to four times a day. Taste an olive on the fourth day to ensure it is no longer bitter. Soak the olives in a brine solution for one week. After this time they should be ready.
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