Preparing olives for the table takes for ever. Here is how to do it faster

Summer is icumen in DEBITTERING OLIVES is a messy process. In their natural state the fruit of the olive tree are loaded with compounds called phenols that make them unpalatable to people. If an olive is destined to be crushed for its oil, the phenols do not matter. Most will be retained in the pulp left over after pressing. Table olives, though, must be purged of their phenols before being eaten. At the moment, this is done by soaking them in water, or brine, or brine followed by a solution of ...