If there’s one recipe that has been making the rounds among our friends here on the Costa Blanca, it’s these honey marinated olives.
I make them whenever we have friends over for drinks, a relaxed tapas evening, or one of those lovely Mediterranean afternoons when a few little dishes on the table somehow turn into an entire evening.
And honestly, almost every single time, someone asks me for the recipe.
Which is exactly why I’ve decided to make these honey marinated olives the very first recipe I share on Azul Nomad.
The funny thing is that not everyone who tries them actually likes olives.
I know several people who insist they don’t. And I can understand why. If your only experience with olives is eating them straight from a supermarket jar, floating in salty brine, they can taste rather sharp, salty, and sometimes a little overwhelming.
You either love them or you don’t.
Or at least, that’s what people think.
Because these olives have a rather wonderful habit of changing people’s minds.
The combination of honey and marinade softens that salty edge and gives them a completely different character. Suddenly, people who normally turn their noses up at olives are reaching for another one.
And then another.
Before you know it, the bowl is empty.
My Little Mercadona Secret
Now, here’s something that might surprise you.
I don’t use expensive olives for this recipe.
Most of the time, I buy ordinary jars of pitted green olives from Mercadona, our local Spanish supermarket.
They’re inexpensive, easy to find, and absolutely perfect for marinating.
I actually prefer pitted olives because the marinade can work its way into the little cavity where the stone used to be. That gives them plenty of surface area to absorb all those wonderful flavors.
Of course, you can use your own favorite green olives, but there’s no reason to spend a fortune.
A simple jar of supermarket olives can become something quite special with the right marinade.
How Sweet Should Honey Marinated Olives Be?
This is entirely up to you.
I always recommend starting with the amount of honey in the recipe, tasting the marinade, and then adding a little more if you prefer a sweeter result.
Some people love just a gentle hint of honey, enough to balance the saltiness of the olives.
Others prefer them noticeably sweeter, with that lovely contrast between salty, savory, and sweet.
There’s no single perfect amount.
Add the honey gradually until the olives taste exactly the way you like them.
Just remember that the flavor develops as the olives sit in the marinade, so it’s worth tasting them again before serving.
Even Sam Takes Them on His Travels
These olives have become such a regular part of our kitchen that I almost always have a container in the refrigerator.
Sam is particularly fond of them.
He works as an architecture and interior photographer, which means he occasionally travels around Spain and other parts of Europe for assignments.
And whenever he’s packing for a trip, there’s a good chance he’ll ask whether there are any olives left.
If there are, a little container inevitably disappears into his travel bag.
I suppose there are worse things to take on a long drive than homemade marinated olives.
Better Than the Ones From the Market?
One of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received about this recipe came from our neighbor.
I’d put a bowl of olives on the table when she stopped by, and after tasting a few, she looked at me and said something along the lines of:
“Well, these are delicious! They’re even better than the ones from the market. Where did you buy them?”
I had to laugh.
When I told her they started life in an ordinary jar from Mercadona, she could hardly believe it.
And naturally, she wanted the recipe.
So here it is.
The first of what I hope will become a lovely collection of Mediterranean olive recipes.
Because this certainly isn’t the only way I like to prepare them.
There are garlic-marinated olives, olives with fragrant Moroccan spices, and all sorts of delicious variations that I’ll be sharing in time.
But these honey marinated olives will always be rather special to me.
They’re the ones that seem to turn olive skeptics into olive lovers.
And they’re the ones that started it all.
Honey Marinated Olives
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz firm olives approximately 5.8 oz green and 3 oz black, drained
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp balsamic vinegar Aceto Balsamico di Modena
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 0.9 oz light soft brown sugar
- 1½ –2¼ tbsphoney to taste
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ¼ sprig fresh rosemary
- ¼ sprig fresh thyme
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt optional, to taste
Method
- Prepare the olives. Drain the olives thoroughly and place them in a clean, sealable container or glass jar.
- Make the marinade. Add the olive oill, balsamic vinegar, light soft brown sugar and honey to a small saucepan. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme and some black pepper.
- Heat gently. Warm the marinade over low heat for approximately 5 minutes. Stir until the sugar and honey have dissolved. Do not allow the marinade to boil.
- Allow to cool. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the marinade cool for approximately 10 minutes, until lukewarm.
- Marinate the olives. Pour the lukewarm marinade over the olives and toss thoroughly to coat. The olives themselves are not heated or cooked.
- Allow the flavours to develop. Seal the container or jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours. Toss the olives several times during marinating to ensure they all come into contact with the marinade.
- Serve. Remove the olives from the refrigerator 20–30 minutes before serving. Toss again and taste to see whether additional pepper or salt is needed. Serve with a little of the marinade.
- Notes
