Buzz
I stumbled upon sweetened olives purely by accident when I decided to try a Christmas panettone. While browsing the offerings from the renowned panettone company, Olivieri 1882 (they add even more seasonal flavors in winter), I was taken aback when I saw White Chocolate and Olive panettone. The combination sounded bizarre, yet I couldn't resist trying it.
Taking a chance on that panettone was the best decision. To my surprise, the flavors were incredible. I had braced myself for a clash of salty, briny olives paired with overly sweet white chocolate, but instead, I found tender, sweetened olive pieces interspersed in a light, airy loaf. The olives retained their essence, enhancing the white chocolate while standing out as the true star of the festive bread.
Now, I'm a firm believer in the magic of candied olives in desserts. After all, olives are a fruit, and how many times have olive oil experts described tasting “fruity notes” in a particular blend? Though it may sound pretentious, they are right. Olives, especially the green Castelvetrano variety I use for this recipe, have strong, fresh, fruity flavors. It's simply that we're used to enjoying them after they've been soaked in a briny, tart solution, which has kept them relegated to savory dishes and cheese boards.
My previous belief that olives were strictly a savory food has completely shifted. Syrupy olives are now one of my favorite panettone flavors, and I’m certain that candied olives can seamlessly accompany other sweet treats. They’re sturdy enough to complement cakes without disrupting their crumb, unlike nuts that can tear it apart. Here’s how to make them at home from a jar you can easily pick up at the store.
A step-by-step guide to candying your olives
The panettone I tried used green olives, which, though I haven’t confirmed with the brand, appeared to be Castelvetrano olives. This variety has a mild, floral flavor and a bright, almost blue-green, meaty flesh. The taste is light and fruity, letting the natural olive flavor shine. I grabbed a jar from the store and got to work.
1. Gently heat the olives
Since I don’t have my own olive grove, the jarred olives I purchased are sitting in brine. To remove some of that brine, I heat them in fresh water. For this, take about half the jar of olives and add two inches of water to a small pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for around five minutes. Drain them and repeat the process with fresh water.
2. Simmer them in syrup
After rinsing the olives and pot, add an equal weight of sugar and water to the pot. For half a jar of olives, I used five ounces each of water and sugar. The olives will float, but the syrup should cover them when stirred. Adjust the amount of syrup if your pot is larger. Add the olives, bring the mixture to a low boil, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes.
3. Allow them to rest
Turn off the heat and let the olives soak in the syrup for an hour, stirring them occasionally, until they cool to room temperature.
The olives will appear wrinkled, which is perfectly fine. This is a result of their expansion and contraction. More importantly, their flesh will have darkened and taken on a translucent quality. This signifies they have been properly candied. (If you prefer to keep a hint of the brine’s salty flavor, you could reduce the water simmering to just one round instead of two.)
Prepare yourself for a unique olive experience. These candied Castelvetranos offer a sweet first taste, followed by the scent of an olive orchard in spring. (I’ve never visited an olive orchard, but I’m confident in this description.) It’s a subtle, floral fragrance that pleasantly surprises me from such an unlikely source. Strain the syrup from the olives and use them in cakes flavored with vanilla or fruit, quick breads, blondies, cookies, or simply enjoy them on top of a scoop of ice cream.
Candied Castelvetrano Olives Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup of jarred Castelvetrano olives (roughly 20 to 25 medium-sized olives)
5 ounces of sugar
5 ounces of water
1. Place the olives in a small pot with about two inches of clean tap water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let the olives simmer for five minutes. Drain the olives and water, then refill the pot with fresh water and repeat the process.
2. Drain the water once more, then add sugar and water to make a simple syrup. Return the olives to the pot. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and let the olives cook in the syrup for about 25 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and allow the olives to cool in the syrup, stirring occasionally, for an hour or until they reach room temperature. Use them right away or store them in the syrup in the fridge in an airtight container. While I haven’t tested their exact shelf life, most candied fruit stored in syrup lasts for six months to a year. For the best quality, however, it’s ideal to use them within a week.
