Sicilian Seasoned Cracked Green Olives

Sicilian cracked green olives or olive schiacciate are seasoned with garlic, fennel seeds, oregano and pepperoncino. They flavorful olives are traditionally prepared each autumn and enjoyed as antipasto. Check out my tips and step by step instructions for no fail cracked olives!

Olive schiacciate e conditi, or alivi scacciati e cunzati, these seasoned cracked green olives are a Sicilian delicacy. Flavored with fennel seeds, oregano, garlic and pepperoncino, it is impossible to stop eating after one or two! Also referred to as cracked olive salad, they are typically enjoyed as antipasto and served with plenty of bread.

If you were raised in an Italian family, you probably have memories of your parents preparing these olives each autumn when they were available in Italian markets.

Olives were on my mother's table every Sunday evening. Toward the end of the meal she emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of olives, a hunk of cheese and, of course, the bread was already at the table.

We usually objected at first, stuffed by the enormous meal we had just enjoyed. But they were too enticing, and we'd reach into the bowl for just one or two (or many more!). Manciatilli cù pani, mom always insisted!

And of course, the same is true about every meal I enjoyed in Sicily with my relatives. It's virtually impossible to have a meal without them. And now it's my turn to prepare these traditional olive recipe.

Preparation and Storage

Almost everyone I consulted shared with me their family's method of preparing and storing their cracked green olives: some add salt to their water during the soaking period; others pack them whole in a brine and store for several months; and some season them and pack them in jars covered in oil for long time storage.

I have not tested all these different methods and the recipe I am sharing here is how my mother prepared them several years ago. Fortunately I was able to validate this method with my dear cousin in Sicily.

I soaked my olives are in water without salt until they were no longer bitter, in my case that required nine days. Next I drained, dried thoroughly, seasoned the olives and refrigerated them for 24 hours before serving them.

My family kept these olives refrigerated for a couple of weeks. They were not stored long term in jars in the pantry.

You may be wondering what to do if you're preparing a large batch that you won't be able to consume within two weeks? The solution is simple and it works! You can freeze them in batches in freezer safe bags or containers. Once defrosted, you can season them and serve.

I cracked 8 lbs of olives and decided to store them in 1 lb. (454 gram) quantities in freezer bags.

But before I get to the detailed recipe, here is what I learned in the process of preparing my Sicilian cracked green olives.

Tips for preparing cracked green olives

• Choose olives that are firm, free from blemishes. Avoid soft or wrinkly olives that are past their prime.
• Use a meat mallet, a flat stone (just as they did in Sicily) or even the bottom of a glass to crack the olives.
• Use a clean dish cloth (but definitely not your best cloth as it will become permanently stained) to cover the olives as you crack them, they may squirt liquid.
• Wear food grade plastic gloves because your fingers will turn black!
• Pound each olive in one decisive movement aiming for the center of the olive.
• Avoid pounding on the olives more than once, you will simply shred them into several pieces.
• If the pit is difficult to remove, simply leave it in.
• Gather your family members to help with this task as it can be long!

Ingredient list

• Cracked green olives: method described in the complete recipe below
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic
• Fennel seeds
• Pepperoncino
• Dry oregano

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.

Step by Step Instructions

The preparation of Sicilian cracked olives can be broken down into the following steps:

Recipe Notes

Check out more Sicilian antipasto recipes!

• Sicilian Peppers with Breadcrumbs
• Roasted Red Bell Peppers
• Grilled Zucchini with Mint and Vinegar
• Crispy Italian Zucchini Fritters
• Cauliflower Fritters
• Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
• Eggplant Caponata with Swordfish
• Italian Pickled Eggplant