What do you know? I had serious doubts, but apparently it is indeed as simple as throwing some ripe olives into sea salt. After a couple of weeks on the counter in a bowl, I brushed off the salt, and they are lovely, chewy, prune like in complexity, and only a hint of bitterness. I am astounded actually. I'm almost tempted to cook with them, or throw them in olive oil and herbs to see what happens.
I don't know what it is about this season, maybe it's free time, but I am going a little berserk with food projects. I've got wild duck parts under fat for confit - only it's cured, so I'm thinking will come out red and chewy - and another fresh domestic duck I'm trying to decide what to do with right now. I put up a barrel of kim chee this morning, which I intend to bury over the winter in a clay crock, just to see what happens. The last sauerkraut batch turned out incredible - Ethan is munching on it now, and here was the key, don't squash the shredded cabbage, just add water if it isn't submerged by its own liquid. It stays very crunchy.
I also tried to make crab apple jelly yesterday, which tastes exquisite but never set up. Though it does go very nicely with rye. (Whisky that is). I also cooked up a slow pot of beans with the smoked cured turkey wings from Thanksgiving. 8 hours in the oven. Gottenu! Went perfectly with the tamales Brett brought to a Secret Santa Party last night. Actually I got a gorgeous turned wooden salt cellar made by Steve, which is one of the best Christmas presents I have ever received.
What else? Oh, a jerky experiment, what would happen if it were cured and then dried? We'll see. The fun never ends.
