Recipe for Tsakistes – Greek Cured Olives from Crete

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Vegetable Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Tsakistes – Greek Cured Olives from Crete

Curing olives this way is popular on the island of Crete and in other places throughout Greece. If you have access to a fresh olive tree, consider curing your own. The flavor is unlike anything you’ve ever tried.

Greek Cured Olives from Crete (Tsakistes) Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 pounds raw olives
• 1 gallon water
• 1 heaping tablespoon of salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons Greek olive oil

How to Make Cretan Cured Olives:

Gently crack each of the olives with the side of a knife or the bottom of a glass. Place them in an airtight container.

Boil 1 gallon of water with the salt and let it cool. Stir in the lemon juice and pour it over the olives. Drizzle the olive oil over the olives, cover the container, and let them sit in a cool, dry place. The olives should take about 6 weeks to fully cure.

Make more brine solution if the amount doesn’t cover the olives. You want enough brine to fully cover the olives.

After about 3 weeks, uncover the lid and stir the olives, making sure that the ones from the bottom are brought to the top. Once your olives are done, you can continue storing them in that container and they keep for a long time.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Vegetable Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston