Preserving olives is a rewarding experience. If you don’t have an olive tree you may be able to forage olives from trees in community gardens and in parks. Usually olives are ready around April-May (in New Zealand). Pick the olives from the tree (never from the ground) and wash well in cold water. If you prefer sweet-tasting olives you can put them in a bucket of water for up to 40 days, or 20-30 days for very small olives, changing the water every 24 hours; the olives will become brownish in colour, and lose a lot of bitterness. After this period make a brine (recipe follows) and bttle your olives. If you prefer crispy green olives with a peppery taste, just wash them and soak them for a day, then preserve them in brine. Brine for preserving olives Before making the brine, be sure to have plenty of glass jars with lids, sterilised and completely dry. Ingredients Water Salt Prepare 10% salt brine (100 g of salt for every litre of water) by placing...