Artificial Flavors Free Mediterranean Marinated Olives
Briny, buttery, and fragrant with fresh herbs, these marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears before you've even finished setting out the rest of the spread. A warm bath of extra-virgin olive oil carries sliced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, turmeric, and ginger into every crevice of the olives, building layers of flavor that taste like they took all day — even though the active work is barely five minutes. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, which means you're getting pure, clean flavor without any of the synthetic additives or flavor enhancers that sneak into jarred versions at the store. The longer they sit in the fridge, the more deeply the aromatics infuse, so making them a day ahead is genuinely rewarded. Serve them alongside crusty bread, a cheese board, or just straight from the jar — no judgment. A finishing squeeze of lemon juice and a scatter of fresh parsley keep everything bright and lively right up until the last olive is gone.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 ½ cups mixed olives (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, and cerignola), pitted or whole
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 strip lemon zest (about 3 inches), pith removed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Drain the olives and pat them dry with a paper towel, then transfer to a clean jar or heatproof bowl.
- 2
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, turmeric, ginger, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 3–4 minutes — watch closely, as the garlic can brown quickly.
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