"Raw olives are inedible. Cured olives are worth waiting two months for.
"KaiRenner26th of April 2026
Why Olives Must Be Cured
Fresh olives contain oleuropein, a bitter phenolic compound that makes them inedible straight from the tree. Curing removes or neutralizes oleuropein through one of three methods: water curing (slowest, mildest), brine curing (classic, complex), or lye curing (fastest, used commercially). Home curers typically use water or brine. The process takes weeks to months depending on method and olive size.
2to 4 Weeks
8to 10 Percent
Score or Crack the Olives
Make cuts or crack each olive to allow curing liquid to penetrate.
Score or Crack the Olives
For water curing, cut two slits in each olive down to the pit with a sharp knife. For brine curing, crack each olive with a mallet or the flat of a heavy pan — just enough to split the skin. This allows the curing medium to reach the inner flesh and draw out oleuropein. Do not remove pits — they help the olive hold its shape during curing.
Begin the Water Cure
Submerge cracked olives in cold water and change it daily.
Begin the Water Cure
Pack olives into a glass jar and cover with cold water. Weigh them down with a zip-lock bag filled with brine to keep them submerged. Change the water every day. After 1 week the water will run less dark. After 2 to 4 weeks, taste an olive. Bitterness should be mild to gone. Green olives take longer than ripe black olives.
Transfer to Brine
Once cured, pack in 8 to 10 percent salt brine with herbs.
Transfer to Brine
Dissolve 80 to 100g of non-iodized salt per liter of water. Add flavorings: garlic cloves, lemon peel, bay leaves, chili, or fresh herbs. Pack the de-bittered olives into clean jars and pour brine over to cover completely. Seal and refrigerate. Flavor develops over the next 2 to 4 weeks as the olives absorb the aromatics.
What You Need
Fresh cured-variety olives (Manzanilla, Castelvetrano, Kalamata)
Non-iodized salt — iodine inhibits curing
Large glass jars
Weights to keep olives submerged
Aromatics: garlic, lemon, bay, chili, herbs
Use the Right Olive Variety Not all olive varieties cure well at home. Manzanilla, Sevillano, and Mission olives are bred for curing. Ornamental or unripe olives often have too much oleuropein to cure effectively with water alone and require lye treatment. Source fresh olives from a farmers market or olive farm in fall — that is when they are harvested.
"Every jar of olives in a deli case started exactly like this.
"KaiRenner26th of April 2026