Water Cured Maltese Olives

October is the month when olives are picked. Traditionally my father has been curing our olives in brine... This year I decided to try 2 other methods: water curing and salt curing.

This is the result of my water cured olives.

Method:

You can either crush the olives with a mallet or cut the olives (as i did) with a paring knife.
Place the olives in a bowl full of cold water and put a weight on so that all the olives are submerged.
I used a plastic bag filled with water and placed it on the olives.




Replace the water every day, ideally twice a day for 6 to 8 days until the olives change their colour from green to olive drab... to be 100% sure you can taste one to make sure that it is cured. It will still be bitter but nothing near uncured olives if you ever tried to taste one.

When the olives are cured, you need to transfer them in brine and herbs for flavouring so that you can start enjoying your olives.

Brine:
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
juice of 1 lemon (keep the rind for flavouring with herbs)

Mix all together until the salt has dissolved and place in your jar.

Add the cured olives

Then insert your preferred herbs in jar.

I used:
6 bay leaves
6 sage leaves
4 sprigs of fresh oregano
2 red chilies cut in half
and the lemon peel of 1 lemon.

Seal the jar and place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

The next day you can start enjoying your home made olives...

enjoy.