How do you dry black olives?

Drying your own black olives at home can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here's a general method to dry black olives:

1. Harvests the Olives: Wait until the olives are fully ripe, which is typically indicated by a deep, dark purple or black color.

2. Pre-Treatment:

Pre-soaking the olives: Place the harvested olives in a large pot or container filled with cold water. Let them soak for about 24-48 hours to remove some of the bitterness. Change the water every 8-12 to prevent the water from becoming too bitter.

Lye Treatment: After the pre-soaking, you may need to treat the olives with a lye solution to further remove the bitterness. This step is optional but recommended for a milder taste. Prepare a solution of water and food-grade lye (sodium hydroxide) following the package instructions. Soak the olives in this solution for a specified time, typically a few hours.

Rinse thoroughly: After the pre-treatment, thoroughly rinse the olives under clean running water to remove any remaining lye or brine.

3. Brine:

Prepare a brine solution by dissolving salt into water. The ratio of salt to water varies, but a common recommendation is to use about 10% salt by weight. Stir until the salt dissolves.

Submerge the olives in the brine solution. Make sure the olives are fully submerged, and weigh them down to keep them below the liquid surface.

Cover the container and store it in a cool, dark place.

4. Drying Process:

After about a month or so in the brine solution, you can begin the drying process.

Spread the olives on a drying rack or a clean surface that allows for good air circulation. They should not be touching each other.

Place the drying rack in a warm, well-ventilated area. You may also use a dehydrator set at low temperature to speed up the process.

Keep the olives in the drying area until they are completely dry. This can take several weeks to a few months, depending on the environment and variety of olives.

5. Check Them Regularly:

Periodically check the drying olives to ensure they are not molding or spoiling. If you notice any issues, discard those olives and continue with the remaining ones.

6. Optional: Additional Processing:

Once the olives are dry, you can choose to further process them. Some common methods include:

Rubbing with olive oil: Rub each olive with a small amount of olive oil to give them a glossy appearance and prevent them from becoming too dry.

Curing with Herbs and Spices: You can add herbs and spices to the dried olives for added flavor. Mix the dried olives with your preferred herbs and spices, such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic, or chili flakes.

Note: The exact process and timing may vary depending on your location and the type of olives you are drying. It is always a good idea to research the best practices for drying olives in your specific region.