Who doesn’t love a good olive snack? Olives are a firm favorite among those who love Mediterranean style cooking and eating. But, is it possible to store them for the long term? Can you freeze olives?
Can You Freeze Olives?
Olives can be kept in the freezer for no more than 6 months. You can even freeze stuffed olives, black and green olives. A few methods to freeze olives are freezing them fresh in an airtight container, or improving their texture by brining them before freezing.
How to Freeze Olives?
You can easily freeze fresh olives, and with just a few simple steps, you can have them ready in the freezer for whenever you need them:
1) To wash Olives: place the olives in a colander and run them under cool water for several minutes. Leave to drain in the colander, then let dry completely. If needed, use a paper towel to blot any remaining moisture or olive oil.
2) Get a strong freezer-safe container that has a tight fitting lid for this next part. Once you have the container, fill it with olives but make sure to leave about half an inch from the top of thecontainer. The expansion of freezing may cause the olives to take up more space than anticipated.
3) Freeze olives by labeling and dating the container, then placing it into the freezer. After 30 minutes have passed, give the container a little shake to stop all of the olives from freezing together.
You can freeze any type of olive using this method, including black olives, green olives, stuffed olives and nocellara olives.
How to Freeze Brined Olives?
Soaking the olives in saltwater before freezing will help to preserve their original texture.
- To make the brining liquid, you will need to boil water and add four ounces of salt for every gallon. With this method, you should be able to make around 120g of salt per 4 litres.
- To brine olives, place them in a pan and cover with the prepared brine solution. Boil over medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Rinse: Pour out the brine, then put the olives in cold water. Drain the water from Olives and dry them off.
- Place olives in an airtight, freezer-safe container and store in the freezer.
- Before freezing your olives, make sure to label and date them.
How Long Can You Freeze Olives?
Olives have an impressively long shelf life, even when frozen. Frozen olives will stay fresh in the freezer for up to six months, although we bet they won’t last that long! They are just too tempting.
How Long Do Olives Last in the Fridge?
If olives are kept in brine, they will last approximately 3 weeks. If not submerged, they will only store for a few days.
How Do You Defrost Olives?
The process for defrosting olives is simple: take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge several hours before you want to use them. To be certain they are fully thawed, leave them overnight. Frozen and thawed olives are way better for cooking.
Can You Refreeze Olives?
We urge you not to refreeze olives because it will make them significantly softer. Frozen and then thawed olives can become bland as well–not something anyone wants. Instead, try freezing olives in a way that allows you to only thaw what you need at any given time.
Can You Freeze Olives – Bottom Line
Olives can be frozen for up to six months. They can be frozen fresh, or brined before freezing to improve texture and taste. Make sure to label and date containers before placing them in the freezer, and avoid refreezing them once thawed. Enjoy your olives as a delicious addition to any meal! How about you? Do you have tips for freezing olives?
