Making the best of a meagre olive season

We had planned to harvest olives for the first time, and through the Grampians Olive Co process them into oil. The olive trees had other plans, with a very small harvest across the state.

Armed with ladders and sheets, our 41kg haul was a tiny victory in a year of scant olives pickings. But hey, we're officially experts now - next year, those olives better shake in their branches!

While this year wasn't it for oil, let's make 2025 the year we really 'branch' out. Register any olive trees you see between now and April and we will be sure to include it.

Instead of pressing them, we've taken on a new challenge - brining olives.

First up, we bonded over meticulously picking through the olives, checking for quality. There were a few dares to try a raw olive but after somone said the taste lingers for hours we decided better not.

Next, we washed then submerged the olives in a salty bath to kick off the brining. A newfound appreciation for quality olives and their price tag! Now, we play the waiting game...for 3 long months while the brining works its magic. The anticipation is real!

Speaking of, are olives actually a fruit? They grow on trees, but let's be honest, they're a far cry from the other things we rescue like apples or oranges. More like nature's savoury snack surprises.

Thanks to wonderful Jill for sharing her salty samples with us. With her instruction we’re also trying salt cured olives which is a dry process.

In 3 months, we'll put our olives to the taste test. Maybe by then we'll have figured out whether to file them under "fruit" or a new category entirely. Stay tuned for more updates on our olive odyssey!