There's 4 Ways To Cure Fresh Olives, And You Should Know Them All

Olives have a deep-rooted history in the Mediterranean, where they've been cultivated for thousands of years and are central to the culinary traditions of ancient Greece, Rome, and beyond. Harvested at various stages of ripeness–green, brown, purple, or black – this ancient fruit remains a cornerstone of Mediterranean cuisine and is now beloved worldwide for its depth of flavor and versatility. Today, olives are among the world's most widely cultivated crops, with Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey leading production. Approximately 90% of harvested olives are used for oil production, yielding a variety of oils from blended to single-origin, while the remaining 10% are enjoyed as table olives.

Fresh olives, however, are far from palatable and are too bitter to eat straight from the tree due to a compound called oleuropein. To transform this sharp fruit into the richly flavored table olives we know and love, they undergo curing processes like water, brine, dry, or lye curing, each designed to remove bitterness while creating textures and flavor profiles unique to the method. This curing process resembles fermentation, converting the olives' natural sugars into lactic acid and adding layers of depth to their taste.

Archaeological evidence from Haifa, Israel, shows that olive curing dates back 6,600 years, underscoring the fruit's historical and cultural significance. At an ancient site submerged underwater, researchers discovered structures filled with olive pits, a testament to olives' enduring appeal. Let's explore the art of olive curing and the distinctive flavors each method brings to this remarkable fruit that has a vast range of varieties.

The water-curing process is considered the most labor-intensive of all curing methods. Each olive must be scored or cracked to allow the oleuropein to be gradually drawn out. This involves a repeated cycle of soaking the olives in fresh water, rinsing, and replacing the water daily for over a week. While this method effectively removes most of the bitterness, it leaves the olives unseasoned, resulting in a mild flavor with a subtle hint of remaining bitterness compared to other methods. After water curing, the olives can be finished in a brine to absorb additional flavors or seasoned with vinegar, salt, garlic, chili, and herbs for added depth. The bonus is that the olives are ready to eat in just a few weeks — faster than most other curing methods.

Kalamata olives, an oil-rich variety from southern Greece often called the "king of table olives," boast a deep purple hue when fully ripe and offer a rich, meaty, slightly smoky flavor with a touch of red wine. These olives are particularly suited to water curing; the popular "Kalamata-style" olives you see in jars at the grocery store (generally good for months) are first water-cured, then preserved in a vinegar-salt brine – liquid you should definitely save for added flavor for a variety of dishes! Another excellent candidate for water curing is the Arbequina olive from Spain, known for its nutty, buttery profile with a hint of woodiness and a milder bitterness, making it an ideal choice for this method.

Instead of going through the soaking and washing period, olives can also be cured directly in a brine. Brining involves soaking olives in concentrated salt water for an extended time, to break down the bitterness while developing a richer flavor through the fermentation. This process requires significant time, typically ranging from 1 to 6 months and sometimes extending up to a year. Brine-cured olives develop a sweet, complex flavor as the brine enhances the fruit's natural taste.

The most commonly brine-cured olives are Kalamata, Manzanillo, and Mission, though any varieties would work as long as they are ripe. To brine-cure, soak washed and crushed olives in a saltwater brine at a ratio of 3 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water. Place a weight on a plate to keep them fully submerged and let sit for one week. Drain, rinse, and cover the olives in fresh brine, repeating this weekly for four to eight weeks (or until the bitterness fades) . If needed, you can adjust to a stronger brine with 10% salt by weight for a longer cure. 

Once cured, transfer the olives to fresh brine with optional seasonings, and store in a cool place to develop richer flavors over time. Even though brine-cured olives can last a good while, they're not immortal! With time, they can still turn rancid. And don't forget — save a bit of that brine for your next homemade classic dirty martini or Bloody Mary.

Dry curing is also one of the first ways olives were preserved, pioneered by the ancient Greeks. To start, soak the olives in a vinegar-water solution for 15 minutes, then layer them in a jar with salt, alternating between olives and salt until full. Seal the jar and store it in a dark place for about a month. After the initial curing period, move the olives to a new container with fresh salt, discarding any excess liquid. At this stage, you can pit the softened olives if desired, then store them in vacuum-sealed bags or macerate them in olive oil in the refrigerator.

Some most commonly dry-cured olives include Mission, Nyon, Niçoise, Beldi, and Gaeta. Dry-cured olives are unmistakable with their wrinkled, rugged texture and bold, concentrated flavor. They're delicious as-is or as a standout addition to a charcuterie board alongside creamy goat cheese and a dry wine like Chablis, which complements their rich taste beautifully. You can also use dry-cured olives to enhance roasted dishes, like a Greek sheet pan chicken that adds depth and savory richness to the meal.

Using lye to cure olives? It might sound unusual, but don't worry, lye curing has been around for thousands of years, first used by the ancient Romans. Known chemically as sodium hydroxide or caustic soda, lye is a versatile compound commonly used in soap-making and even in food preparation, such as for peeling certain types of fruits. Lye-curing is the fastest method since the potency of lye can easily remove oleuropein.

To safely lye-cure olives, wear protective clothing–long sleeves, gloves, safety glasses–and avoid reactive metals like aluminum and tin, which produce harmful fumes with lye. Carefully mix lye with cold water in a well-ventilated area, then let the solution cool. Next, fully submerge the olives in the cooled solution for about 6 hours. Check for penetration by cutting an olive; if the flesh has turned golden to the pit, drain and rinse the olives. Soak them in fresh water for several days, changing the water frequently until clear and free of any soapy taste. Finally, preserve the olives in a salt brine with optional herbs and a layer of olive oil.

This method is best suited for fresh green olives and is commonly used by large commercial producers for fast, cost-effective curing. Though the process significantly speeds up curing, it often compromises flavor in which it leaves olives with a slight chemical aftertaste and a less vibrant taste. With these four curing methods, you can enjoy olives in a variety of flavors and textures. Cheers to your olive adventures!