This recipe was provided by David McKenzie, through an interview with Hatice Kalin and her family in Tarsus, Turkey.
When visiting Kösebalcı, a village near Tarsus in southern Turkey, journalist David McKenzie met Hatice Kalin and her family. In the face of issues arising from the spread of large monocultures of olive varieties unsuited to this region in recent decades – especially the high-yielding Gemlik variety, originally from the northwestern Marmara region – Hatice and her family are deeply devoted to protecting and championing the local Sarı Ulak olive variety. The Sarı Ulak is native to the region and holds a geographical indication, celebrated for its exceptional quality as a green table olive. At the first Sarı Ulak Olive Festival in Tarsus, Hatice shared with David the recipe for cracked or crushed olives, passed down through her family.
Harvesting
The harvest takes place between mid-October and November, when families gather to pick the olives. For table olives, they are hand-picked with great care, while combs are typically used for olives destined for oil. The work is communal, with women, men, and even children all participating.
Preparing the Olives
Once harvested, the olives are gently crushed with a wooden mallet to help release their bitterness. From here, there are two traditional methods:
- Fast method: Place the olives in plain water and change the water every day for 5–6 days. This daily soaking draws out the bitterness, leaving the olives ready to eat within a week.
- Long method: Place the olives in a simple brine of water and salt (about one tablespoon of salt per jar). Leave them to rest for about a month before tasting. This slower process preserves the olives for longer.
Preservation
The olives are stored in glass jars of about one kilogram each. For flavor, the Kalin family sometimes adds mint or sumac, though the basic version requires nothing more than water and salt. A thin layer of olive oil on top of the brine helps protect them.
- In brine, the olives will keep for up to six months.
- With the fast method, they are best eaten soon after preparation.
Serving
Once ready, the olives can be enjoyed plain, or, in true Turkish style, dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of spices such as mint, cumin, or sumac. Fresh, aromatic, and deeply rooted in local tradition, they carry the taste of the Sarı Ulak heritage that Hatice and her family are so proud to preserve.
