[WGH]

It's olive harvest season in Tucson, this year my tree is a month early, probably because it has been over 105 degrees every day for the last 2 months and no monsoons.

I will be harvesting every morning this week as they begin to turn color, the black ripe olives either fall off on their own or get knocked off by birds eating them.

I prefer the Greek brine curing method which will take a couple of months, then the cured olives are put in canning jars with a red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and a few Thai hot peppers pickling solution.


 

[S Clark]

Wow.  I'm jealous.  My wife and I love olives!  We have relatives in Spain, and have been so spoiled whenever we go over there.  At bars they put olive on the table like we pass out chips.  Olives and a cold beer are made for each other. 
I wonder if I could grow olive trees in Abilene?  ... a quick look at our Ag Extension Service tells me no.  We get way too cold in the winter. 

[stlrman]

Yum !!! How exotic!!!  I need to buy some olives !!! I don’t go into supermarkets now , So, I miss the olive bars big time !!

[Rob Babcock]

Those look awesome!

[FullRangeMan]

Currently using these 500g with pits about $3.

[WGH]

An olive update - they turned out great!

Brining is a slow process, patience is needed to get it just right. I follow the directions in the University of California publication "Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling", publication 8267.

I start with a medium brine solution for a week and then a strong brine. I change the brine about once a month, this year I brined for 8 months. People who like bitter olives can pickle them sooner. I use a 5 gallon food safe bucket that allows for 2 gallons of brine. A porcelain dinner plate fits perfectly and keeps the olives submerged in an anerobic environment and away from the white mold mat that forms on the surface. If the mold touches the olives the harvest is ruined.

"Brine-curing involves soaking olives in salt water for three to six months. Under the brine, olives ferment, breaking down the oleuropein and converting some of the sugar in the olives into lactic acid, which preserves and flavors the olives. This is the method used to make Greek-style black olives and Sicilian-style green olives"
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cure-olives#how-does-olive-curing-work

The cured olives are no longer bitter but are extremely salty so I do a fresh water soak for a couple of weeks changing the water almost daily similar to the traditional water curing method.

The finished olives are then pickled in a red wine vinaigrette, in a week they are ready to eat. A layer for olive oil floated on top keeps the air out, they will last for years when stored in a cool dark place. This year I put up 9 quarts.

Pickling vinaigrette:
1 quart bottled water (Arrowhead reverse osmosis or similar)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar, I like Napa Valley Naturals Oak Wood Aged Organic Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 bay leaves per quart jar
1/2 tsp oregano per quart jar
1/4 tsp peppercorns per quart jar
2 garlic cloves per quart jar
2 or more Thai red peppers per quart jar




Olives, Anchovies, and Capers - The Secret Ingredients of the Mediterranean Table By Georgeanne Brennan has curing information and wonderful recipes for your homemade olives.

[FullRangeMan]

Surprising,  congratulations