The bitter agent glucoside oleuropein must be leeched out of olives.
Black olives aren't edible right off the tree--they first must be "cured," which is the process of soaking them in a salty solution called "brine." Cured olives don't have the bitter taste of uncured olives. Harvest olives when fully ripe if you desire black olives. Fully ripe olives range in color from dark reddish-purple to black. For the best flavor, avoid damaged or bruised olives and use only the healthiest olives you can find.
Instructions
1. Place the olives in a colander and rinse them under cool running water. Sort through the olives and divide them into groups of similar sizes.
2. Fill a 1-qt. jar with olives of similar size. Leave 1 inch of space between the olives and the rim of the jar.
3. Combine 3/4 cup pickling salt with 1 gallon of cool water. Stir until the salt and water are completely combined.
4. Pour the salty water over the olives until they are covered. Put the lid on the jar.
5. Store the jars where they won't be disturbed, such as in a pantry. Maintain the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Drain the brine from the olives after one week. Combine 1-1/2 cups pickling salt with 1 gallon of cool water and pour this mixture over the olives. Return them to storage for three more months.
7. Store the olives in the refrigerator, in the brine solution, for up to one year after the initial three-month curing process in the pantry.
Tags: cool water, gallon cool, gallon cool water, over olives, pickling salt