As a young kid, I couldn’t stand the sight of olives. But now, give me a bucket of olives and I’d gladly plough through the entire thing. I’ve played around with different ways of serving them in the past, but nothing comes close to this marinade. Follow me…
Marinated Olives
The great thing about this recipe is you only need a handful of ingredients, some of which you’ll hopefully already have on hand!
Marinated Olives Ingredients
Olives – Go for whatever kind of olives you fancy. You can use all the same, or a mix as I’ve done here. Garlic – I recommend slicing it instead of finely dicing, just so you get a nice gentle infusion of garlic, as opposed to having it all up in your face with every olive. Red Wine Vinegar – Adds a gentle tangy background flavour. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Creates the base of the marinade. Try and use good quality oil, just because it makes up the bulk of the marinade. Orange – You’ll just need the peel. This adds a gorgeous, warm and zesty undertone of flavour which binds all the ingredients. Chilli Flakes – Even if you’re not too good with spice, I recommend just a small amount to add a little heat. Parsley & Oregano – Dried oregano is fine, but you’ll definitely want fresh parsley.
What are the best olives to use?
I typically used jarred olives in brine or olives fresh from the Deli. Just make sure they’re not stuffed or already marinated!
How to Marinate Olives
As you can imagine, it’s a fairly straightforward process. I recommend using a large shallow dish, just so the olives will marinate evenly. You can marinate them in a jar, however, I find a lot of the marinade fall to the bottom, unless you fill the jar right up with oil; which in turn dilutes the flavour slightly.
How long should I marinate olives?
I recommend an absolute minimum of an hour, but the longer the better! Process shots: add oil, vinegar, parsley, oregano and chilli flakes to a large shallow dish (photo 1), whisk to combine (photo 2), add olives, garlic and orange peel (photo 3), toss then marinate (photo 4).
Should I use pitted or unpitted olives?
I highly recommend using pitted olives when marinating, just so the marinade can get in and around the olive.
How long will marinated olives last?
Marinated olives should last just as long as jarred olives, so around 2 weeks tightly stored in the fridge.
Serving Marinated Olives
Always serve marinated olives at room temp, just to loosen up the oil (it can solidify in the fridge). You can serve as an appetizer or snack with toothpicks, or you can do as I’ve done below and serve with baked feta and toasted ciabatta as a starter or light lunch! For another delicious olive recipe check out my Olive Pasta! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these marinated olives shall we?!
How to Marinate Olives (Full Recipe & Video)
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