Pickled Olives - A Marinated Olives Pickle (Olive Pickle) | Aceitunas Aliñadas Recipe
Pickled Olives or Aceitunas Aliñadas – The olive tree (Olea europaea) valued for both its beauty and its fruit, has been a part of Mediterranean civilization since before recorded history.
The olive was cultivated and its oil traded as early as 3000 B.C.E. Olives and olive oil have been used for food, cooking, medicine, salve, soap, and lamp fuel.
Today, most of the world’s olives are still grown in the Mediterranean region. Olives form an important part of Spanish Tapa – an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine.
What is the nutritional value of Olives?
Olives and olive oil are good sources of monounsaturated fat. Olive oil has the highest percentage (over 70%) of monounsaturated fat of any edible oil.
Olives and olive oil also contain other minor components such as pigments, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds that act as antioxidants and may offer protective health benefits
Olives in Spain
Spain exports a large amount of table olives, specialising in machine pitted green olives stuffed with strips of pimento, whole almonds, tiny onions or anchovies.
Olives are a seasonal crop. They are gathered in the autumn in & sold fresh. They vary in size from fruit as large as a quail’s egg to those smaller than a hazelnut.
These olives wear colours from bright green to mauve depending on the degree of ripeness.
In Spain olives for pickling are harvested before they have a chance to ripen to black – the stage at which they are dressed for oil.
The fresh fruits are cracked and soaked in pure water, or, if they are to be left whole in water with lye (a leached solution), until they lose their bitterness.
They are put in an earthenware crock in with loose wooden lid, to pickle submerged in in a strong aromatic brine.
What are Pickled Olives?
Home cured and pickled olives or aceitunas aliñadas are the ones most frequently are included in the top tapa bars of the Southern Spain.
Flavourings include herbs, garlic and wine vinegar with sometimes a chilli or two and maybe chunks of lemon or bitter orange to add flavour and piquancy.
As the year goes by, the olives become sweeter and more pickled as they ferment, a natural process as it is with wine.
There’s no simpler way to impress your guests than with an elegant tapas spread. These pickled olives are a great addition along with meats, cheeses, fruit and vegetables.
They are vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
What flavours can I use for marinating olives?
You can use lots of different flavours for pickling olives. Try some and refine some to those that suit your taste.
Serving Suggestions for Pickled Olives
These marinated olives or aceitunas aliñadas are very versatile. Pickled olives are an easy side dish for a Spanish-style meal or a tapas (snack).
- They are great with cocktails or beer.
- They make a perfect addition to an tapas platter with cheese, cold cuts & fresh fruits.
- Add a baguette, sliced cheese and almonds, and you’ve got a simple cheese board dinner for two.
- A few vegetarian appetizers that go well with pickled olives: goat cheese crostini, tomato almond dip, stuffed dates.
Pickled Olives | Marinated Olives | Aceitunas Aliñadas
Ingredients
- 500 gram Whole Green Olives
- 4 Piece Whole Garlic Cloves
- 1 Piece Lemon
- 2 Piece Thyme (Sprigs)
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 0.5 Cup Sherry or Wine Vinegar
Instructions
- Break the olives and bash them lightly with a rolling pin.
- Burn the garlic on a flame until the cover blackens.
- Cut a slice from the middle of the lemon and reserve. Chunk the rest.
- Toast the coriander and fennel seeds till aromatic.
- Add olives, garlic and chucked lemon to a screw-top jar, adding in the aromatics as you go.
- Next, add the vinegar and enough water to cover the olives.
- Top up with the lemon slice to keep the olives submerged.
- Close the lid tightly and keep in the fridge for at least a week.
- Bring them up to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Use unpitted olives for extra flavour for making pickled olives or marinated olives or aceitunas aliñadas
- Jarred olives can already be quite salty so check for saltiness after draining them, your olives about to be pickled probably won't need any additional salt.
- Drain and rinse the olives before pickling.
- Feel free to use a mix of green and black olives.
Tools & Equipment Used For This Recipe
FInally! To Sum It Up
Pickled olives | marinated olives
Home cured and pickled olives are the ones most frequently are included in the top tapa bars of the Southern Spain.
Flavourings include herbs, garlic and wine vinegar with sometimes a chilli or two and maybe chunks of lemon or bitter orange to add flavour and piquancy.
As the year goes by, the olives become sweeter and more pickled as they ferment, a natural process as it is with wine.
There’s no simpler way to impress your guests than with an elegant tapas spread. These pickled olives are a great addition along with meats, cheeses, fruit and vegetables.
They are vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
STAY CONNECTED
If you like this article, you can let us know in the comments below or on social media using #gosumitup and tag @gosumitup.
I am always happy to read your feedback and if you liked the dish or if you made the dish. :)
Better still, take a picture and post it on Instagram and tag it as #gosumitup
Connect direct – You can also connect with me directly on my Instagram and Facebook or on Pinterest.
And, keep visiting us for more of such awesomeness. Do bookmark gosumitup.com into your web browser now or simply subscribe to our browser notifications.
This article has been compiled for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition/s.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GoSumItUp.com has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but offers no warranty as to its accuracy or its use in any possible form.
Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition/s. For more details please refer to our disclosure policy.