A SUNDAY GIFT

What a lovely surprise I had this morning when my doorbell rang and a friend appeared with these olives, fresh from her tree.

I haven't done any "olive bashing" for a few years but I will start processing these tomorrow, according to my friend Linda's instructions [which I first posted in 2006]:

Olive schiacciate - Bashed olives

Bash the olives [not too enthusiastically] with a stone, rolling pin or whatever you have to hand. Don't do this near a clean wall or with your best clothes on as they squirt everywhere. [I have found this out to my cost.] Put them in a plastic container, cover with water and add a handful of coarse seasalt. You should change the salt and water solution twice a day for 10 days. Then put them in vinegar and water [about a quarter vinegar to water] for 24 hours. After that, rinse them. They can be frozen in bags at this stage if you have a lot of them. When you are ready, put the olives in jars and add the flavourings of your choice - people here like to use chopped carrots, red pepper and garlic - then cover with olive oil.