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Cure Your Own Greek Olives?

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acamp7

Active member
I’ve always wanted to try curing my own Greek olives, but I don’t have access to an olive tree—has anyone done this successfully without growing their own?

I’m really curious if it’s possible to buy raw, unprocessed olives somewhere in Greece (or even online) during harvest season and use them for home curing. Do any markets or co-ops sell them directly to the public? And if so, what variety should I look for if I want that classic Greek table olive flavor—like Kalamata, Amfissa, or something else?

I’d love to try different curing methods (brine, salt, dry-cure) just to experiment a bit. I’ve found some tutorials online, but most assume you’ve got a tree in the backyard, which sadly I don’t!

If anyone has tips for sourcing olives, or stories about their own curing adventures, I’d really appreciate it. Would love to bring a bit of that village magic into my kitchen.
 
Yes, you can absolutely cure your own Greek olives without having an olive tree! I’ve done it a few times with raw olives sourced during harvest season. If you’re in Greece around October or November, many farmer’s markets (laiki) and village co-ops sell unprocessed olives by the kilo. Ask for xidates (for curing) and they’ll usually know what you mean. Kalamata and Amfissa are both great choices for classic table olives, Kalamata are meatier and a bit winey, while Amfissa are milder and buttery.

If you’re not in Greece, some specialty shops or online retailers (especially those catering to the Greek diaspora) do offer raw olives seasonally, though they can sell out fast. I’ve personally had the most success with the salt brine method, but dry-cured black olives (packed in salt, then finished with olive oil and herbs) are amazing too.
 
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