Olives

[-SharonA-]

At my local market today they were selling fresh olives. These were green and looked like extra large peas.
I love olives but didn't buy any as I don't know what to do with them once i got them home. I usually buy olives in jars. Have I got to pickle these??

[MargoTester]

I always buy fresh ones for my Christmas morning drinks get together, always try them and gag and end up giving them to my neighbour who loves them. Same with tomatoes can't eat fresh or tinned but use passata in lots of stuff

[Vagus]

Soooo, everyone here who’s talking about ‘fresh’ olives, what exactly are you talking about?
As I understand it, fresh olives are inedible and need to be processed in some way to make them edible.
I’ve bought olives which are in large containers, scooped out with a big spoon and put into a smaller container for you to buy them, but they’re not ‘fresh’ olives are they?
Enlighten me please.

[naomi24]

I think they’re soaked in brine for quite a while. Olives straight from a tree are pressed for oil but can’t be eaten.

[naomi24]

Yes, those you bought are fresh olives, Vegas.

[-SharonA-]

The ones I saw today, were green and dry. I was wondering how you eat these. Like a grape perhaps?

[Sqad]

Vagus......correct.
Fresh olives straight from the tree.....cannot be eaten without dire consequences.
All edible olives are processed in some way.

[Khandro]

I'm an addict, have been all my life. Spanish olives are the best, I get mine from a Turkish guy who has a stall on the market in my nearby town.
I also love Bruschetta, which is a rough Italian paste I have on a piece of crisp bread. In fact I shall be having one of those with a glass of beer in half an hour. Cheers!

[naomi24]

You can’t eat those without ‘curing’ them, Sharon.

[-SharonA-]

Shame, I will be sticking to the jars!!

[naomi24]

Try the fresh ones from the deli counter. So much nicer.

[-SharonA-]

I will Naomi.

[naomi24]

Let us know what you think.

[pastafreak]

I'm trying to figure out the point of selling fresh, unprocessed olives. Is there anything that can be done at home that would equal good quality bought olives? Is it worth the hassle?
I've adored olives since I was a child...in those days it was tinned black California ones.
Now it's mostly kalamata...or dry Moroccan style.

[naomi24]

I wouldn’t attempt it, pasta. We have a lot of olive trees on our land in Spain. The neighbours harvest them and take them for pressing. Excellent olive oil.

[pastafreak]

Khandro...bruschetta is the toast, not the topping. Though the word is often used to describe toast that's topped with chopped seasoned tomatoes.

[Cloverjo]

I especially love olives stuffed with a big chilli pepper. Haven’t see them for ages.

[naomi24]

^delicious.

[pastafreak]

Does your land produce enough to sell, or is it just for yourself and neighbours Naomi? Lucky to have your own :)

[naomi24]

Oops. I meant the bruschetta and tomatoes - but olives stuffed with chillis are good too.

[tiggerblue10]

Curing olives

https://www.feastingathome.com/home-cured-olives/

I love olives and my grandmother used to cure olives in Cyprus. I can eat a whole tub of them with sun-dried tomatoes and the left over oil in the tub makes a base for a salad dressing :o)