- 1 pound fresh green or black olives
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut lengthwise into quarters
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 long hot green chile pepper
- To prepare and preserve green olives (zeitoon akhdar), first crack the olives with the flat side of a chef’s knife or the bottom of a small heavy pot. Soak the olives in a tishet (large metal bowl) filled with water, covered, for 3 to 4 days, changing the water daily. Drain the olives and toss with the salt, ¼ cup of the oil, and 1 lemon wedge. Let the olives cure for 3 to 4 days, or until softened. Then place the olives in jars with the lemon juice, celery, chile pepper, remaining ¼ cup oil, and the remaining lemon wedges.
- To prepare and preserve black olives (zeitoon aswan), soak in a tishet filled with water and a generous amount of coarse salt for 7 to 10 days to extract the bitterness. This process will cause the olives to release their water. The olives will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. When serving, marinate the olives lightly in extra-virgin olive oil.
- Variation
- Another alternative is to cure the olives in olive oil. First, soak the olives in salt water for 3 to 4 days, then cover with extra-virgin olive oil. This method will take no more than 2 weeks.