Sometimes you need to work with what you have instead of what you want. Sometimes all you have is tinned bland olives but, you want nicely marinated delicious olives. We can easily make that happen with a bit of olive oil, zingy citrus and some flavouring.
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To make a short story even shorter, the point is that you can easily marinate tasteless olives at home using only a touch of love and a few cheap ingredients.
You might not end up with the best olives you ever tasted but you surely will get a delicious quick and cheap alternative.
Perfect with a glass of wine or sangria and other snacks like parmesan biscuits, biltong, or bresaola when enjoying the sunset. If that's what you're into.
Otherwise.
Delicious by themselves, easy to make and takes all but 5 minutes.
Ingredients needed
Most of the ingredients needed to marinate olives quickly are probably lying around in your fridge and pantry already.
- Tinned Olives - Pitted green, black or mixed. When they're pitted they take more flavour from the marinade.
- Herbs - Any dried herbs will do. Like parsley, oregano and bay leaf.
- Oil - Extra virgin olive oil or any other good quality cold-pressed oil.
- Seasoning - Salt and pepper.
- Citrus - lemon is the go-to but you can use orange and lime too.
- Garlic (optional) - Minced or paper thinly sliced.
How to make it
This is beyond easy to make and perfect if you are in a rush or have zero cooking skills but have to serve something at a party or as a snack before a meal.
- Drain the olives. Put into a bowl along with extra virgin olive oil.
- Peel some lemon rind and bruise it by rolling between your thumb and forefinger. This releases flavourful citrus oil from the skin. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out ¼ of the juice onto the olives.
- Peel and mince 1 small garlic clove and add to the olives.
- Add the herbs and bay leaf.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix it all together well and ideally let it sit overnight but you can have it straight away.
Storage instructions
Will keep well for a few weeks in the fridge stored airtight.
For best results seal in a vacuum bag. The flavour will intensify and it will last for many months.
Variations
Easily Make the following changes.
- Add in in some anchovies for an extra umami salty, funky kick.
- Use oranges instead of lemon for a sweeter version.
- Add in freshly chopped parsley, oregano or chervil instead of dried herbs.
- Add in chopped chillies for a little heat.
Serving suggestions
As a little snack at a BBQ when making crispy pork belly or grilled fish.
Also, as part of an antipasti Italian feast alongside roasted Romano peppers, Sea Bass crudo and homemade sourdough bread.
Add to salads like this authentic greek salad.
Perfect snack for those following a keto or vegan diet.
More snacks for wine
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Recipe
Citrus marinated olives
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cups) pitted black olives
- 150 g (1 cups) pitted green olives
- 1 (1) lemon
- 26 g (2 tablespoon) olive oil - extra virgin
- 2 g (4) bay leaf - fresh or dry
- 2 g (¼ tablespoon) oregano - fresh or dry
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the olives. Put into a bowl along with extra virgin olive oil.
- Peel some lemon rind and bruise it by rolling between your thumb and forefinger. This releases the flavourful citrus oil from the skin. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out ¼ of the juice onto the olives.
- Peel and mince 1 small garlic clove and add to the olives.
- Add the herbs and bay leaf.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix it all together well and ideally let it sit overnight but you can have it straight away.
Notes
- Can be stored airtight in the fridge for many months or in the freezer for longer.
- For the best flavour store in a vacuum bag in the fridge.
- To make it spicy add some dried chilli flakes or freshly chopped chilli.
- You can use unpitted olives too if you wish.
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