PICKLING OLIVES

I have always picked green olives as they take on a light straw colour, and
pickled them very successfully although they do take quite a lot of time.

Olives bruise easily, and those bruised should be discarded as they will
turn to mush and will not taste the same.
Leave the olives sitting in a brine mixture for at least 5 to 6 weeks or
until they are no longer bitter to the taste. They can then be stored in a
cool, dark place for up to 6 months.....
Remove stems from olives, make 2 cuts through to the stone in EACH olive - I
put a X cut at one end - and place them in large sterilised glass or
earthenware containers and cover with cold water. Fill a small plastic bag
with water and tie the end. Sit the bag on top of the olives to keep them
submerged. Store in a cool, dark place for a week, changing the water every
day. Drain the olives.

For each 850g of olives you will need - 1/3 cup of fine sea salt; 1 litre
(4 cups) water; and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil.

Combine the salt and the litre of water in a pan, and stir over low heat
until salt dissolves; cool. Add enough salted water to cover the olives -
then top with enough oil to seal completely.
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Once the olives are pickled, you can marinate them for extra flavour.
Drain, then put them in a jar with 6 slices of lemon, 3 sprigs of rosemary,
1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup
sweet chilli sauce, 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1 teasp cracked black
pepper.

Very labour intensive, but well worth the effort.
Jan