Important: Safety Warning
This page describes home-canning methods from before the causes of botulism were understood. Canning low-acid foods without a pressure canner, as described here, can allow the growth of Clostridium botulinum, whose toxin is among the deadliest known. Follow current USDA home-canning guidelines instead.
In addition, this page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Home › Preserving › Pickling Olives
Pickling Olives
We do not vouch for this recipe, as we are not able to verify it. It comes from Pomona, California. For three gallons of olives dissolve half a pound of concentrated lye in three gallons of water and add two pounds of salt. Let the olives remain in this two days. Draw off this liquid and replace with the same quantity of a fresh supply. Draw off this liquid and cover the olives with pure water, keeping them thus covered from five to eight days, renewing the water daily. When olives have lost their bitterness, drain, and cover with a brine made of one pound and a half of salt to three gallons of water. After two days draw off the brine and, finally, leave the olives in a fresh brine of a pound and a half of salt to nine quarts of water.
The olives may be put into fruit jars; fill these with brine to overflow, then put on rubbers and covers as in fruit canning. + 12 large ripe tomatoes 2 onions 3 green peppers 2 tablespoonfuls sugar