Learn how to quickly and easily upgrade store-bought olives with just a few fresh ingredients. These warm citrus olives make a bright, aromatic appetizer to serve year-round.
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Turning ordinary jarred olives into something special is fast and simple: warm them gently with good extra-virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and citrus zest, then let them marinate. The result is a lively, flavorful snack you’ll want to serve warm or at room temperature for friends and family.
Helpful Tips for Making Warm Citrus Olives
- Experiment with flavorings: Any citrus zest and fresh herbs will work—try basil, oregano, thyme, or Italian parsley. For a bolder profile, add aromatic seeds such as fennel or coriander; lightly crush about a teaspoon before adding to the oil.
- Reuse the marinade: If you finish a jar of marinated olives, save the oil. Warm the marinade, remove wilted herbs, and use it to flavor a fresh batch of olives. Add fresh herbs and top up with extra-virgin olive oil as needed, then store in a clean jar.
- Don’t waste the oil: After a second batch, strain the now intensely flavored oil and use it to dress salads, toss with pasta, or drizzle over roasted vegetables.
Savory Citrus Delights Cookbook
Love savory citrus recipes? Then you’ll enjoy my Savory Citrus Delights Cookbook. This downloadable eBook includes 16 recipes that showcase citrus in creative, savory dishes—perfect for adding bright, fresh flavors to weeknight meals, salads, and appetizers. The PDF format is easy to save and use across devices.
Warm Citrus Olives
Ingredients
- 2 cups large green olives (such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola), drained
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp crushed black pepper (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
- a few sprigs fresh oregano, thyme, or Italian parsley
Instructions
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If your olives are packed in brine, drain and rinse them under cold running water. Place them in a bowl, cover with fresh water and let rest for 1 hour, changing the water once or twice. This reduces the briny taste and helps the olives absorb new flavors.
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Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange and lemon. Juice both fruits, straining out any seeds. Slice the zests into thin strips.
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Combine the citrus zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Drain and pat the olives dry, then add them to the pan along with the olive oil, crushed garlic, and black pepper or red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat for about 10 minutes, watching closely to prevent boiling—this releases the aromatics into the oil.
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Remove from heat and stir in the fresh herb sprigs. Transfer the olives and marinade to an airtight glass jar and let them infuse at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
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Serving: Olive oil can solidify when chilled. To serve warm, spoon olives and some marinade back into a saucepan and gently rewarm over low heat, or heat briefly in the microwave at low power. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful oil.
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Storage: Keep the olives in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for a long time, but are best enjoyed within one month.
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Clever tips
If you’ve used up the marinated olives, reuse the flavorful oil to make a new batch: warm the marinade, remove wilted herbs, and repeat the process with fresh olives. After the second round, strain the oil and use it to dress salads or pasta.
Did you make this?
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