I wrote an eBook on pickling fresh olives | Hacker News Reader

I wrote an eBook on pickling fresh olives

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27 pointsgodDLL14 comments

The marinating part is completely new to me (and yes, I am from Italy and I am familiar with olives).

Traditionally olives are "in salamoia" or "ranno" (these latter are still under a lighter salamoia).

Salamoia is a solution of water + salt, usually 1 liter water + 100/80/60 grams of salt (1st, 2nd, 3rd salamoia) + whatever herbs you like, normally laurel or fennel is used, brought to boiling point and then let cool down, olives are kept several days (30 or more) in the 1st salamoia, then put in the second one several more days (another 30 or more) and finally put in jars submersed with the third salamoia and if they are later sterilized they last years, as long as you keep them in a cool, dark place.

Amount of salt in the salamoia vary in different regions, as well as the times the oives are kept in the one or the other salamoia, though it should never be less than 60 gr per liter, but can be as high as 150 gr per liter.

As well the amount of times the olives are washed (or not washed) between the one and the other salamoia vary.

In some places they use soda caustica (sodium hydroxide) to "cook" a bit the olives, but it is not recommended generally speaking.

Ranno (which is lye obtained from ashes of burnt wood) is better.

In Tuscany it is used to "de-bitterize" and "cook" the olives, so that you can then use a lighter salamoia, like 40 gr of salt every liter of water, so they are much sweeter (but they also last less).

See here (not too bad via Google translate):

https://it.hobby.cucina.narkive.com/jLvAz2yT/olive-metodo-pe...

I did not mention any industrial processes, like soda caustica for a reason. They suck.

Salamoia pickling is basically marinading and pickling together. I'm not a fan, personally. Too much salt for my taste :)

Ranno is really nice. If you marinade them after, they will last for upto half a year refrigerated.

Thanks for your input! Also, there's now a paperback available!

Yep, though it is not strictly an industrial process, it is also used at home instead of ranno, not everyone has the possibility to burn wood and gather the ashes, and - to be picky - you also need to either remove the first ashes or start the fire without paper or accelerating products.

Then the more traditionalist would also say that you need only this (or that) type of wood ...

> this (or that) type of wood

for speed or for taste?

For taste.

Some say that olive wood is better, some say oak or beech, though I believe that since these "preferences" tend to be regional they are most probably originated by "whatever wood you have available around".

Only thing I can say definitely NO coniferous wood (i.e. no cypress/pine/fir).

So, theoretically, I can simulate something to this effect by using a whiskey barrel to cure the olives? I'll be sure to try.

Step 6 shows olives that seem tp have been scored (cut). I couldn't find a reference to this in the previous steps. Did I miss it? Is this something that should be done?

Thanks for this! We had a bunch of olives on a property and some of the pickling worked while others didn't. This will be quite helpful.

Scoring the olives or crushing them speeds up the process. Some green olives with tough skin can otherwise take months to pickle.

OP here: if you buy the book, I'd like to hear your opinion on the polished and expanded version too!

OP here, any questions or friendly criticisms welcome!

Very nice. We recently stayed in Corfu and I wondered about pickling after I tasted some olives from a tree. Now I regret that I didn't pick some to test your methods.

These methods are ancient. I wish I could claim responsibility, but alas :)

And you can pick up some fresh olives at the local vegan store or farmer's market.

olives are delicious, i read the short preview. where are the best places to source fresh olives in the US. good luck with your book

Where the climate is closest to Mediterranean. Florida, California etc.

Has to be hot 10 months a year. Rains in the winter.

Really, just ask around at your local farmer's market. Guys know their shit.

Good luck!

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