Wrinkly Olives
4kg black olives
2kg salt (approx.)
or 2 parts olives to 1 part salt (you need enough salt to thickly cover all the olives)
Olive oil
Dried oregano
Wash olives and drain well.
Next, get an old clean pillow case and a bucket or large bowl. Put a layer of olives in the bottom of the pillow case and then put a layer of salt, repeat until you have filled it up. Don’t skimp on the salt, the olives need to be bathing in it. Then, close up the pillow case like you would tie up bread in a bag and put it into the bucket or bowl and let it sit. Every few days (or once a week if you’re forgetful like me) lift up the pillow case and let the liquid drain into the bucket. Then tip the liquid out. Give the bag a jiggle so the olives rotate around and then let them sit again. Do this for about 3-4 weeks. You can test if the olives are ready by picking one out and rinsing the salt off - see if it still tastes bitter.
If you don’t have a pillow case/ bucket you can also just put the olives and salt in a large bowl and cover with a big plate - you just need to tip the liquid down the sink while holding the olives and salt in with the plate which is a bit awkward.
Once the olives taste good, give them a rinse to get the salt off. Then to dry them, I lay them in a dehydrator for a bit but you could also lay them on a tea towel on a tray in a very low setting oven or in front of a fan. You just need to make sure they aren’t wet because they could go mouldy.
Once they are nice and dry, put the olives in jar and drizzle in some oil and a pinch of oregano. Give the jar a shake so they are coated. You can also add in a clove of garlic or any other dried herbs for flavour.
The olives last for months and you can keep them in the cupboard. If you want them to last longer you can also put them in the fridge but the oil can solidify (so take them out for a bit before eating).