The marinating part is completely new to me (and yes, I am from Italy and I am familiar with olives). Traditionally olives are "in salamoia" or "ranno" (these

The marinating part is completely new to me (and yes, I am from Italy and I am familiar with olives). Traditionally olives are "in salamoia" or "ranno" (these latter are still under a lighter salamoia). Salamoia is a solution of water + salt, usually 1 liter water + 100/80/60 grams of salt (1st, 2nd, 3rd salamoia) + whatever herbs you like, normally laurel or fennel is used, brought to boiling point and then let cool down, olives are kept several days (30 or more) in the 1st salamoia, then put in the second one several more days (another 30 or more) and finally put in jars submersed with the third salamoia and if they are later sterilized they last years, as long as you keep them in a cool, dark place. Amount of salt in the salamoia vary in different regions, as well as the times the oives are kept in the one or the other salamoia, though it should never be less than 60 gr per liter, but can be as high as 150 gr per liter. As well the amount of times the olives are washed (or not washed) between the one and the other salamoia vary. In some places they use soda caustica (sodium hydroxide) to "cook" a bit the olives, but it is not recommended generally speaking. Ranno (which is lye obtained from ashes of burnt wood) is better. In Tuscany it is used to "de-bitterize" and "cook" the olives, so that you can then use a lighter salamoia, like 40 gr of salt every liter of water, so they are much sweeter (but they also last less). See here (not too bad via Google translate): https://it.hobby.cucina.narkive.com/jLvAz2yT/olive-metodo-per-prepararle https://it.hobby.cucina.narkive.com/jLvAz2yT/olive-metodo-pe...