Ingredients
10 kg ripe black olives (preferably kalamata)
1 kg sea salt
1 kg table salt
Olive oil
Fresh oregano or thyme
A 10kg weight (e.g., 3-4 bricks)
Instructions
Place olives in the middle of a large piece of hessian or shade cloth.
Pour sea salt and table salt over olives and mix thoroughly.
Wrap olives with the material and place a weight on top. (The weight helps squash the olives and drain the juice out.)
Over the next two weeks, check every two days and remix, making sure all the olives are covered with salt.
After two weeks, remove the olives from the cloth and wash thoroughly to remove all the salt.
Place the olives in a clean jar and fill it with olive oil.
Add a piece of fresh oregano, thyme or your choice of herb, seal and store.
Your pressed olives are ready to eat whenever you like.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
