Homemade Naturally Cured Black Olives

Rinse the olives and discard any that are bruised, moldy, or damaged.

Prick each olive once or twice with a clean skewer to help it cure.

Dissolve 100 g of salt per litre of water to make enough curing brine to cover the olives.

Pack the olives into a clean glass or food-grade container and pour in the brine.

Use a clean weight to keep every olive submerged, leaving a little space at the top.

Cover loosely so gas can escape, and keep the container in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Check regularly that the olives remain submerged; top up only with more brine made at the same ratio.

After four weeks, taste an olive, then check weekly until the bitterness is to your liking, usually around six weeks.

Discard the whole batch if you see fuzzy mold or notice a rotten smell or slimy texture.

When cured, drain and rinse the olives.

Make fresh finishing brine using 60 g salt and 100 ml of 5% vinegar per litre of water.

Cover the olives completely with the finishing brine in a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate.

Keep refrigerated and use a clean utensil when serving.