Make your own...Easy Marinated Olives

These olives are my cheat’s version of marinated olives you buy at any good deli.

I came up with this method last Christmas when I realised I had left it to late to marinate olives (the proper way) for gifts that I had promised.

This method is so simple yet tastes even better than ones that have been marinated for 2-3 weeks, plus you get to enjoy them with 28 hours of marinating.

Mix and match flavours and olives (however make sure they are ones in a salty brine to add thay tang you look for in a good marinate olive) to create your own favourites.

Ingredients
200g pitted kalamata olives, drained
4 slices of lemon, 2mm thick with the skin on
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
3 dried bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
125ml vegetable oil
125ml olive oil
1 jam jar with lid

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place olives on a lined baking tray along with the lemon slices and place in the oven. After 10 minutes remove the lemon slices and set aside.

Place a clean dry jam jar in the oven on a separate rack with the lid off and leave for 5 minutes to sterilise. Take out carefully and fill with the lemon slices, garlic, chilli and herbs.

Return the olives to the oven and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, or until salt crystals start to form (you want to most of the moisture in the olives to evaporate and the olives to get hot). Once hot place in the jam jar.

In the meantime in a small saucepan heat the vegetable and olive oil until ripples form on the surface. Once hot pour over your olives and seal tightly with a lid. Turn the jar upside down and allow to cool. Once at room temperature I like to store them in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 jar. Keeps for 2-3 months refrigerated, 1 month in the cupboard.

Bon Appetite