Put this back in the fridge for 2-3 days, the salt will come out of the olives and equalise in the water so that both the olive and the water have the same salt content. Keep tasting and repeat the process, to get the perfect flavour.
The best way to make olives less salty is to separate the brine from olives, put olives into a bowl, pour it with cold water, stir it a little, wait for an hour, and try them. If they're still too salty, replace the water and repeat the process.
For example, rinsing and draining capers or olives would barely make a dent in the sodium content because they are preserved with a salty brine solution and absorb the sodium. But for an item like canned beans, draining the juices cuts some sodium, while rinsing and draining shaves even more.
To reduce saltiness, you can soak the olives in water overnight before eating them out-of-hand. After this soaking you can also place the olives in a little olive oil. The olive oil may congeal in the refrigerator, so before serving allow the olives to sit at room temperature until the oil has liquefied.
Crush them enough to just break the skin but not to completely flatten the olives. Now, give them an initial soak in plain water for a 2-3 days, changing the water daily. Keep the olives completely submerged in the water (use a plate or weight to hold them under).
Once you've removed most of the bitterness, it's time to brine the olives. Brining the olives will help preserve them and add flavor. You can brine the olives with only a mixture of salt and water or you can add even more flavor by adding herbs and other seasonings.
Olives are typically high in salt due to the fact that they are cured or packaged in brine or salt water, containing about 0.6g salt per five olives.
Kalamata olives are healthy when consumed in moderation, but it's important to remember that, like all olives, they're high in sodium. Having too much sodium in your diet forces your heart to work harder to do its job and can lead to conditions that include congestive heart failure and kidney disease.
Though olives are perfectly fine to consume straight from the jar, we recommend that you rinse them under cool water before serving. This removes most of the brine and sodium that coat the olive and can take away from the actual flavor. If you are watching your sodium intake rinsing is a must.
Flavor: Green olives tend to have more sodium and are therefore saltier than black olives. Green olives also tend to have a tangier, more bitter flavor than black olives.
LOWEST SODIUM - One serving of Gaea Pitted Kalamata Olives contains only 130mg of sodium, much lower than traditional pickled and preserved olives and other varieties of snacks.
Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt. Drizzle in a mild vinegar like all-purpose vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar to help mask the salt with acidity by distracting the taste buds.
You can add lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to salty food to help neutralize the saltiness. A tomato product, such as tomato sauce or tomato paste, will also work since tomatoes are acidic.
Olives have a relatively high sodium content, so it is important to watch your portion size. Five black olives contain roughly 135 mg of sodium. For reference, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 2,300 mg of salt per day for adults.
Olives can help manage high blood pressure.
Due to their high oleic acid and antioxidant polyphenol content, olives have also been found to be the ideal fat to help manage hypertension (high blood pressure).
If you're looking to reduce your saturated fat intake, black olives are a slightly better choice. If you're trying to boost your vitamin E intake, green olives are a healthier option than their black counterparts.
Sicilian & Kalamata Olive Processes
Sicilian and Kalamata olives have similar curing methods. Sicilian olives are soaked in salt and lactic acid for one year. The same process, minus the lactic acid is used to cure Kalamata olives, as well as Amphissa, Niçoise, Picholine, Cerignola and Gaeta olives.
Kalamata olives have a whole host of amazing health benefits that in our opinion qualifies them for superfood status. About 75% of the fat contained in kalamata olives is monounsaturated fatty acids, which research links to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Curing the Olives
For a brine-cure, place the prepared olives in a mixture of 1 part salt to 10 parts water, making sure they're submerged, and leave for 3 to 6 weeks, changing the brine every week and shaking the pan once a day.
Fresh olives aren't salty, but they are very bitter. Thus they almost always cured and fermented to remove the bitter compounds.
Raw olives are incredibly bitter, so once harvested they are cured and then usually preserved in salt or brine.