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The recipe for plague olives, or crushed olives, in extra virgin olive oil, is a preparation of the Italian peasant tradition, especially from central / southern Italy, which boasts many variations, all with a family story to tell.
In my family, the preparation takes place during the olive harvest, between October and November, and lasts for the rest of the year.
They are tasty and fragrant, ideal for a snack or as part of a rich appetizer.
The ingredients are as desired, even in the doses, but for some steps you need the scale.
Preparation
Wash the olives, remove any that are not intact and put them in a colander.
Crush the olives with a hammer or a meat mallet, paying attention to splashes and not to remove the stone.
As the olives are crushed, dip them into a large bowl filled with cold water.
Add a little salt (calculate 1 heaped tablespoon of salt for a liter of water) and place a plate on top to prevent the olives from rising to the surface.
Olives must always be immersed in water to prevent them from turning dark.
Change the water twice a day and add a little salt each time.
This operation should be carried out for about 1 week until the olives are sweet to the taste.
Drain the olives and press them well into the bottom of the jars you need and at this point add the rest of the ingredients that are most familiar to you on the palate.
I do this: for 2kg of olives: I mince 2 cloves of garlic with 2 chillies, 4 bay leaves and oregano and put some of the mixture on top of the olives, put the other olives and a little more of the aromatic mince … in that order until all ingredients are used up.
Pour plenty of extra virgin olive oil to the brim of the jars and close them with the appropriate lids.
Put the jars upside down for a quarter of an hour, so that the vacuum effect is created.
Store in a cool, dry place and enjoy your meal !!
Remember
Change the water and the olive brine after the indicated time.
Press the olives well inside the jars, so that no air pockets are created.
An advice
If you have organic lemons or oranges, insert some scraps inside the jar before pouring the olive oil, the final result will be an amazing scent.
