A very common method of vegetable preservation in Italy is sott'olio, which means "under oil". Vegetables are "canned" this way to keep them through the winter; everything from rapini to carrots to grilled pumpkin can be preserved in olive oil. Grilled eggplant can be rolled up and tucked into jars, and roasted garlic cloves can be submerged, too.
To properly preserve vegetables using this method, olive oil must completely cover the vegetables, and you should run a knife through the jar to release all air bubbles. It is a simple process to keep food fresh, nearly "foolproof", as the oil blocks air from getting in and spoiling the goods.Following are two recipes for enjoying yourself or giving away.
Cipollini Sott'olio
Baby onions take on a sweeter essence when left to linger this way.
Peel the baby onions and put them in a saucepan. Add about 1 cup or so of white wine, along with the seasonings of your choice. Bring to a boil and simmer about 7 minutes. Drain and cool completely. Remove the garlic and lemon peels.
Once they're cool, put them in a jar with a tight-sealing lid. Pack them in fairly tightly up to the top of the container, but not into the neck. Pour the olive oil over top to cover them completely. Run a knife through the jar to release the air bubbles. Seal the jars and store in a cool, dry place.
After years of thinking about it, we've finally taken the plunge and here we are in Castiglion Fiorentino (between Arezzo and Cortona) volunteering on the olive harvest in an organic farm.
The project started in October 2009, when I took my trip to the Peruvian Amazon and visited some self sufficient idyllic villages. I so much enjoyed being in the most Pure & Authentic of natural settings that I started thinking how I could bring a little of this sensation in my daily living without having to drastically change my life.
On return I enroled on a foundation course in horticulture and talked Simone into volunteering part time in an organic farm near home... we ended up adoring the experience (thanks to our first host Alessandro) and joined the Italian WWOOF organisation (World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming) with the idea of discovering the organic side of Italy.
It took 6 months before we found the farms we were looking for and on 7 October we rented out our city home in Northern Italy and a with a heavily loaded car we ventured South to settle into our first farm in Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo) where we came to house and dog sit first and then help with the harvest of 400 olive trees - what a marvellous (and exhausting) experience. Read more
