Greek Dips and Sauces
Elies Tsakistes Kritis Recipe (Cretan Cracked Green Olives)
Ελιές τσακιστές Κρήτης eh-lee-ES tsah-kee-STES KREE-tees · Elies tsakistes Kritis
Photo: Olives stuffed with garlic.jpg by Janine from Mililani, Hawaii, United States, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Elies tsakistes are Cretan green olives, cracked or split open before curing, which lets brine penetrate far faster than whole olives, then finished with crushed garlic, coriander seed and lemon. The result is a distinctly herby, garlicky olive meze quite unlike a plain jar of table olives.
Elies tsakistes takes fresh green olives, too bitter to eat straight from the tree, and cures them the fast way: cracking or splitting each olive open with a stone or the flat of a knife before brining, which lets the curing liquid penetrate far more quickly than it could through a whole olive's intact skin.
This shortens the curing time considerably compared with whole brined olives, though it still takes real days rather than hours, and it is a genuinely Cretan approach to olive preparation, finished with the island's characteristic garlic, coriander seed and lemon rather than being left plain.
The result tastes nothing like a shop-bought jar of plain green olives, carrying real garlic punch and a citrusy, herby brightness that makes it worth the wait if you can get hold of genuinely fresh, uncured green olives to start with.
Key preparation steps
- Crack fresh green olives open with a stone or the flat of a knife.
- Soak in several changes of water to draw out bitterness.
- Brine in a salt and water solution for several days.
- Finish with garlic, coriander seed, lemon and olive oil.
Cracking the olives
Fresh, unripe green olives are essential here, and each one needs a firm crack, using a stone, a meat mallet, or the flat of a wide knife, enough to split the skin and expose the flesh without shattering the olive entirely. This split is what lets water and brine penetrate quickly, dramatically shortening the debittering process compared with curing whole olives.
Drawing out the bitterness
Soak the cracked olives in fresh, unsalted water, changing the water at least once a day, for five to seven days, until they taste noticeably less bitter, though some pleasant bitterness remains part of the character of a good cured olive rather than something to eliminate entirely.
Brining and finishing
Once the worst of the bitterness has gone, move the olives to a proper brine, water and salt at a ratio strong enough to float a raw egg, for a further few days to develop flavour and ensure safe preservation. Drain and finish with crushed garlic, lightly crushed coriander seed, a generous squeeze of lemon and good olive oil.
Store in the fridge, where they keep for several weeks, and the flavour continues to develop and mellow as they sit in their finishing dressing.
Tips from my kitchen
Crack, don't shatter
A firm crack that splits the skin is enough. Shattering the olive entirely makes it fall apart in the brine.
Change the soaking water regularly
This is what draws out the raw olive's harsh bitterness over the several days it takes.
Use a properly strong brine
It should be strong enough to float a raw egg, which ensures both good flavour and safe, stable preservation.
Elies Tsakistes Kritis Recipe (Cretan Cracked Green Olives)
Ελιές τσακιστές Κρήτης · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 30m
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Crack each olive firmly with a stone or the flat of a wide knife, enough to split the skin without shattering it.
- Place the cracked olives in a large container and cover with fresh water. Soak for 5 to 7 days, changing the water at least once daily, until noticeably less bitter.
- Dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine strong enough to float a raw egg. Drain the olives and cover with the brine.
- Leave for a further 3 to 4 days at room temperature, then drain thoroughly.
- Mix the drained olives with the crushed garlic, coriander seed, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Store in the fridge in a sealed container, where they keep for several weeks.
Nutrition, per 8 olives
- Calories
- 112
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Elies tsakistes Kritis
Why crack the olives before curing?
It lets water and brine penetrate the flesh far more quickly than through an olive's intact skin, considerably shortening the debittering process compared with curing whole olives.
Can you use shop-bought raw olives?
You need genuinely fresh, unprocessed green olives from a tree, not anything already cured or brined, since the whole process starts from raw, bitter fruit.
How long do finished elies tsakistes keep?
Several weeks refrigerated in their garlic and lemon dressing, with the flavour continuing to develop and mellow as they sit.
