Why Warm Olives?

If you’re like most people, you probably take olives out of the fridge, pop them into a bowl and serve them. However, if you take 5 minutes to warm the olives, you’ll end up with something so tasty, satisfying and comforting that you’ll never serve cold olives again. Warming the olives is a game changer!

What Flavors Can You Add to Warm Olives?

You can really add so many different flavors to your warm olives. I always choose some citrus zest – orange or lemon – and some fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano), but you could add a crushed clove of garlic if you like, slices of hot chili pepper or chili pepper flakes, capers or any variety of dried herbs (think fennel seed, anise, coriander seed). Olives pair so nicely with so many different flavors. 

How to Make Pretty Peels of Orange

When I add either orange or lemon zest to the olives, I want it to look pretty so I use a channel knife. Channel knives take off one long strip of citrus peel and are often found on traditional zesters. I think they are so handy, I included one in my 8 piece gadget set. (you can learn more about that here)

What Olives to Use

The end result of this dish depends entirely on the quality of your main ingredient – the olives. I recommend olives that are selected from an olive bar in a grocery store. Ideally, it should be an olive bar that has a frequent turnover and the olives should still have seeds in them. When these olives are heated, they swell a little and become so plump and tender. It changes the whole eating experience.

How Long To Warm Olives

Olives don’t take long to warm – about 4 to 5 minutes. Just swirl them in a pan with a little extra olive oil, the flavors you’ve chosen and then serve warm with toothpicks. Don’t forget to put out a bowl for used toothpicks and olive pits. It’s all part of the game… the game that has been changed!

Warm Olives