flipBrined Olives from the Meander (Kolymbades)
Brined Olives from the Meander (Kolymbades)
Why this dish? Oil and olives are the wealth of Antonia's valley. To preserve the fruit from one harvest to the next, they are kept in brine: olives that dress the daily bread and are nibbled between cups during the evening.
Whole olives rid of their bitterness and preserved in a flavored brine. An age-old preservation technique that transforms an inedible raw fruit into a pantry delight.
A good household lets nothing from the olive tree go to waste, for it is our true wealth. Raw, my olives are bitter enough to make you wince; so I split them, soak them long, and change their water day after day, patiently, until the harshness departs. Then I lay them in brine with fennel and a few herbs, and I forget them. Open the jar moons later: they will tell you all the summer of the Meander valley.
- •Fresh olives — a full jar (fruit)
- •Spring water — changed often (debittering)
- •Sea salt — generously (brine)
- •Fennel, wild fennel, bay leaves — a few sprigs (aromatics)
Brined Olives from the Meander (Kolymbades)
Whole olives rid of their bitterness and preserved in a flavored brine. An age-old preservation technique that transforms an inedible raw fruit into a pantry delight.
Why this dish? Oil and olives are the wealth of Antonia's valley. To preserve the fruit from one harvest to the next, they are kept in brine: olives that dress the daily bread and are nibbled between cups during the evening.
A good household lets nothing from the olive tree go to waste, for it is our true wealth. Raw, my olives are bitter enough to make you wince; so I split them, soak them long, and change their water day after day, patiently, until the harshness departs. Then I lay them in brine with fennel and a few herbs, and I forget them. Open the jar moons later: they will tell you all the summer of the Meander valley.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh olives — a full jar (fruit)
- Spring water — changed often (debittering)
- Sea salt — generously (brine)
- Fennel, wild fennel, bay leaves — a few sprigs (aromatics)
Ingredients
- Fresh green or black olives (untreated) — 500 g (fruit)
- Water — to be changed daily (debittering)
- Salt (for brine: 100 g per liter) — as needed (brine)
- Fennel seeds and bay leaves — 1 tbsp + 2 leaves (aromatics)
Method
- Split or score each olive with a knife.
- Submerge them in cold water and change the water daily for 8-12 days to remove bitterness (taste to judge).
- Prepare a brine with 100 g salt per liter of water, boil then cool.
- Place olives in a jar with fennel and bay, cover with brine until fully submerged.
- Close and let rest in a cool place for at least 3-4 weeks before tasting.
How it was made : Debittering olives through repeated soakings and then preserving in brine is attested since antiquity (Cato describes similar recipes in his agricultural treatise). This was the main way to have table olives year-round.
The contemporary twist : Drain and warm in olive oil with orange zest and fennel, as marinated olives for an aperitif.
Antonia · Charactorium
