Sunshine-soaked olives aren’t just to throw on top of your pizza’s they can be a staple of summer eating. I’ve always got a jar of plain olives in the kitchen cupboards and I’m always looking for innovative ways to serve them. Like always, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen with some simple ingredients to give my olives a lift and these citrus marinated olives make a lovely summer savoury snack.
For centuries, people in the Mediterranean have been marinating and storing olives to give them a fresh twist and a new depth of flavour. Summer reminds me of vibrant, refreshing flavours created using the simplest of ingredients. Oranges, limes, and lemons are beautifully fragrant and full of flavour, a blend that seems to complement the saltiness of the olives really well and gives them a citrus zing.
The best thing that I love about marinating your own olives is that you can make a massive batch at once that you can store in a jar in the fridge and they should last quite a while. It means that you have plenty on hand for any summer BBQ’s or parties that you may have coming up to serve up to your guests.
Make yourself a big jar of olives share at a summer BBQ or impress friends with a fresh take on a Martini with lots of citrus zing.
- 350 g Fragata Pitted Green Olives (drained)
- 1 large orange
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 250 ml good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml vodka
- 15 ml vermouth
- 40 ml fresh orange juice
- 2-3 tsp sugar syrup or honey (optional)
- Lemon peel or zest (optional)
- Ice cubes
- A Citrus Marinated Olive to garnish
-
Add strips of the lemon, lime and orange peel to a large bowl. (If you prefer, remove the zest with a fine grater.)
-
Stir in the garlic cloves, thyme and olive oil.
-
Now be patient! Leave it to sit for as long as possible. The longer you can, the better the result.
-
Add all the ingredients (except the olive) to an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
-
Shake to your heart’s content then drain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a Citrus Marinated Olive (and pop another in your mouth!)
-
Enjoy!
I used Fragata Pitted Green Olives to soak up the flavours of my marinade. These are specifically, Manzanilla olives that are grown in Spain. Naturally plump with a meaty texture, they have a smoky taste and classically associated with martinis.
We had our first summer BBQ a few weeks ago and really wished that I had served up a refreshing cocktail. Obviously, these citrus marinated olives would be great thrown onto a salad, but they also make a beautiful garnish for my citrus glow martini. I think my friends and family would be really impressed if I whipped this one up for them.
I’m really getting into my cocktails again and will be absolutely making this one all summer long with my trusty batch of citrus marinated olives. With all that fresh citrus zing the marinated olives and the martini are going to be a summer staple.
For more details on Fragata and their olives, please visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Have you ever tried to marinate your own olives? How do you like to use olives at home?
*Recipe commissioned by Fragata, but all opinions are my own.
The cocktail looks awesome, just the sort of thing that is great for the summer
It’s definitely a summer cocktail.
A few months ago I would have said yuck to olives, but I have recently tried them again and have found a new love for them (just in time for summer), I have not tried them with cocktails yet though and these look amazing x
They’re great in a martini. You drink the cocktail and then snack on the olives. 🙂
I’d never have thought of this combo! Sounds like it’s yummy 🙂
Thanks, Laura.
I’m from the French Riviera so olives are a huge summer staple here. I might have to try those recipes for Bastille Day – I’m sure it’d go down a treat!
Haha it is so funny I have just seen this. Literally been making an orange style cocktail with olives, but I will deffo be giving this specific recipe ideas a go 🙂 x
Ha, that’s funny! I would love to hear what you think.
I love olives. But i don’t like lemon at all. I might have to remove the lemon from the recipe 🙂
You totally could! 🙂
My hubby loves olives and I bet he would absolutely love this recipe. I think add flavour to olives is a fab idea. I have to test it out.
Oh cool! I hope he likes my marinading idea.
I just adore olives. Lemon with olives makes them so refreshing and your cocktail sounds amazing.
Thanks Janice, I love those citrus flavours with them.
I love olives That said, I love this cocktail for the summer months. Definitely bookmarking this recipe!!
Thank you! I hope you like it.
We put a big bowl of something similar out every time we have guests over and they never last long.
Ours haven’t lasted as long either.
firstly your blog is absolutely stunning, that photography is just perfect! I love green olives and really like the idea of some summery citrus ones so I have saved this to give it a try, brilliant post!
Awww, that’s so lovely for you to say, Charlotte. Thank you! I really hope you like this version.
I’ve only just started eating olives after taking them off my pizza’s for years! Lovely looking recipe!
Glad to hear that you’re enjoying them again.
I’ve only been eating olives for a year and marinating them is one thing I haven’t tried yet. Oranges? Mmmmm.
That citrus flavour with the lemon, lime and orange work really well.
I always forget about the option of olives at a BBQ, will definitely have to stock up next time. I’m loving trialling new cocktails for the summer
They’re a great option for guests at a BBQ. We love them!
I am not a big fan of olives, but I might have to try marinating them, see if I like the new flavours
Yes, you can tailor them to your own taste buds.
This looks lovely, I just love olives so will have to make this one day
Thank you! I would love to know what you think.
Thanks, Melissa.
Oh I do love olives! I don’t think I’ve ever had them in a cocktail though!
They are a classic garnish for a martini. :- )
Me too, they make such a great snack.
A good friend of mine makes the most awesome marinated olives, and we are staying at his country house this weekend and I hope he will be serving them. I’ve never asked for his recipe, but now because of you, I have one of my own. 🙂 The cheeky martini looks great, too 🙂