Olive Harvest

After 5 years our olive trees have finally set enough fruit to harvest! The past 3 weekends I have been up and down ladders picking the fruit. We've decided not to use lye whilst the kids are still small. The rock salt method I began 3 weeks ago has worked a treat so I've got another bigger jar going. Brining began last weekend and what a painful process it is to change the brine everyday. Mike has read something that says not to worry so much about daily changing of water just make sure you stir well so I'm only changing the brine every 3rd day. It is about twice as salty as the recipe asks for.

We don't have enough large containers for brining olives so Mike has relinquished a brewing vessel with a tap. This helps with the brine changing as I dont' have to upend it all. Was hard finding something the right size to fit through the mouth but cover the olives so they didn't float. Resorted to using cheesecloth bag but it is a bit narrow and I they are a little too tightly packed for my liking. In any case, a couple of china plates weigh the bag down nicely and I'll try to get hold of some wider cheesecloth to sew a looser sack to put the olives in.

As I type a feisty little willy wagtail bird is harassing the cat who is harassing a sparrow and they are generally all enjoying this beautiful Autumn dusk.

Posterous theme by Cory Watilo