Modern Vespa

When we had our house warming party a little over two years ago, a neighbor gave us an 18" tall Kalamata olive tree as a gift. It is now nearly 6 feet tall and will present us with our first harvest in two months! Ardy estimates we'll have 2 or 3 gallons of Kalamatas for our salads. Maybe there will be a few left when the Rally Krew arrives next May...



Filakia!

A&A

I love those olives! Great on pizza, in salads, or just by themselves! Good for you too in moderation. Going to a Greek fest tomorrow- can't wait.

Bob

How do you prepare them? Do they have to age, if so for how long?
We have alot of olive growers here on the central coast of California, it seems they only press them into olive oil.

Cheers,

Rob

"Water or Brine Curing-Though water curing is much more traditional, and produces a far superior olive, most large producers have abandoned it for the faster and cheaper "Spanish cure." To cure in this older slower fashion, the olives are simply submerged in vats of fresh water or seasoned salted brine. The liquid naturally soaks the bitterness from the olives over a period of weeks or months. During that time, the water is regularly changed according to the preference of each producer. When the olives are aged in brine, it serves not only to remove the natural bitterness of the olives, but seasons them as well. Kalamata olives, for example, are cured in a red wine vinegar brine which helps give them their delicious, almost wine-like flavor. Some producers begin curing in a water bath, and then later shift their olives into a seasoned brine. Water or brine yield a naturally cured olive, bringing out and enhancing the natural flavors of the olives."

Zingermans.com

Interesting...thanks for the info

Cheers,
Rob

Ardy brines the olives for about a month. Previously, she used olives we harvest from a neighbor's fields. We help them with the harvest, and they give a 2 kg sack of olives for brining and then eating and fresh oil from the pressing. http://flickr.com/gp/23916004@N07/7X2195

Great pics..... thanks!

YUM I miss fresh olives. I loved the olive souks (markets) in Morocco. I brought home a big container of them Hard to believe i made it thru customs here but i did Enjoy your olives.