Our community facilities may be closed right now, but our gardens keep growing! Community Activation & Learning Officer Jeanine recently harvested olives from the trees at Botanica Springs Children’s & Community Centre.
After consulting with Botanica’s Maltese Seniors Group, Jeanine successfully preserved the olives using a process advised to her by Jimmy from the Senior’s group who meet weekly at Botanica! Follow the steps below to preserve your own olives at home.
- Soak the olives in a bucket of water three days, changing the water each day.
- Remove the olives from the bucket and drain before cutting each olive on each side until you hit the pip, this will help the olives absorb salt faster. This step is optional.
- To make the brine, fill a bucket half way with water. Then, place an egg in the water and let it sink to the bottom. Start adding household table salt and stir. The egg will rise as salt is added but don’t let the egg rise to the top of the water, it should be between half way and 3/4 to the top. This depends if olives are green or black.
- Add the olives to the bucket and remove the egg.
- Pour the olives into sterilised glass jars, making sure they are packed tight before pouring the brine over the top.
- Add 2 drops of any oil to the glass jars.
- Leave the jars of olives for a few months or until the olives are soft and ready to eat. Take the lid off of the jar to test them.
- Once the olives are ready, you can then transfer them to new glass jars, adding your own flavour twists. Try olive oil, garlic, mint, chilli or whatever takes your fancy.
Do you have a recipe you’ve learn’t throughout isolation that you’d like to share with us? Email us at mld@melton.vic.gov.au to share!