Not normally a fan of green olives, I was at my friend China's house for a Thanksgiving gathering and decided to try some. WOW! I was amazed at how awesome these tasted. She told me she made them herself, and I had to have the recipe. China said the recipe came from the cookbook Vegan Eat. Click here to purchase the cookbook on Amazon.
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapeños (or any chili you like), halved lengthwise,
keeping the stem intact
4 thyme sprigs
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
vegetable oil - enough to cover the olives in whatever jar you choose
3 cans large whole green olives
DIRECTIONS
Slice lemon.
Peel garlic.
Halve jalapeños.
Open olives and rinse. Then, place in jars. I used one large and one small mason jar.
Place all of the ingredients, except the olives, in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Cook until small bubbles begin to form around the garlic and lemon - the oils should be just a little too hot to keep your finger in the pan.
Pour the infused oil over the olives, and be sure to include all of the yummy pieces and seasonings in the oil.
Seal and set aside in a cool, dry place to let the flavors to infuse in the olives.
NOTE: The first time I made these, I left them on the kitchen counter, but after a few days, mold began to form on the inside of the lid. Since then, I've kept them in the refrigerator. Although the oil gets a bit hard in the fridge, when I take them out, I bring them back to room temperature OR I put them in a pan and reheat them before serving. YUUUUMMMY
You can eat the olives the next day, but it is best to let the flavors develop for a few days.
