Modo De Aliñar Las Aceitunas

This recipe hails from the 'Cuaderno de Recetas de Cocina,' a handwritten cookbook from 1902, authored by Hortensia Volante. The cookbook captures the spirit of early twentieth-century Spanish home kitchens, featuring beloved, everyday dishes and timeless preserving techniques. In this era before refrigeration, preserving olives with aromatics and salt was a seasonal ritual, allowing families to enjoy these flavorful snacks year-round. The recipe demonstrates the Mediterranean tradition of infusing simple preserved foods with layers of local herbs and flavors.

At the turn of the 20th century, cooks would have used large ceramic jars or stoneware crocks (tinajas) for brining and storing the olives. Wooden spoons, pestles for lightly crushing garlic, and simple kitchen knives were common. The process worked thanks to a cool cellar or pantry for optimal fermentation and preservation. Strict covers such as wooden lids or cloths tied firmly over the crock helped maintain freshness and repel pests or dust.