WHAT’S CURING?

Curing is an ancient method of food preservation, usually using salt. But, equally important in the case of olives, it doesn’t just preserve, it leaches out the glucosides – the chemicals that make the fruit bitter and inedible when picked.

You can apply the salt in one of two ways – either by totally covering the olives with a layer of dry salt, or by immersing them in brine. Brine is probably the easier of the two curing options. It’s also ideal for larger olives, to ensure maximum salt penetration.