I have tried various methods of preserving olives but none have been very successful.

I only have one tree but it's currently weighed down with fruit so would like to have another try at making something edible.

Does anyone have a tried and tested method or any handy hints?

Yvonne

Try Google??????

Here is one of many ideas found on a simple search.

How to prepare the olives harvested from your olive tree; an Italian recipe

All the recipes I have tried have come from internet searches and foodie forums, none of them have produced anything particularly good hence why I am asking here in the hope that someone can give me some informed advice.

Of course it could be that my olives are not that good or better for oil but not sure how to find that out. (I have tried Google!)

A trip to your local mercadillo might be in order. Ask the guys there. I am sure they would love to share their tips

This is what I did, following my neighbour's instructions:
Soak the olives in water to cover them, changing it at least once a day. After 4-8 days, the horrible bitterness will have gone (keep tasting to check) then you drain them, make three fine slits downwards in each one (some people have a small board with holes that you push the olives through and each hole has three needles poking inwards and that slits the olives. It's a bit quicker, but I just used a sharp, stainless steel knife.)
Put a layer of olives in a big jar, then a layer of sliced garlic, red pepper, carrot, basil, salt, spices or other herbs if wished. then another layer of olives and so on. Fill the jar with a mixture of water and vinegar and close, wait three weeks and start eating them.

I think it depends mostly on the flavour and quality of the olives. Mine were very bitter, so by the time they'd soaked enough, they hadn't much taste. The best green ones are the big, fat manzanillas, i think, but very oily black ones are my favourites.

I'm no expert - I'm sure someone else will reply with better knowledge.

Thanks for that, I spoke to one of my neighbours today and from my understanding of his very strong local accent his method sounded very similar.

The only difference was he did say the first week just in water then the second in salt water but not too strong. He also said he likes to use rosemary as a flavouring.

I think I'll use rosemary next time. I think I'd prefer it.

My neighbour (Native Spanish) also uses salt water, he says add enough salt until a fresh egg just floats in it.
Hope this is usefull

I always thought the intitial soaking should be in salt water. I wonder whether my neighbour forgot to mention that, perhaps assumed tht I'd assume it. (All mine are native Spanish, than goodness, except for a Chiliean.)

You can also use caustic soda ( drain cleaner) sold in most hardware shops. It takes Phenols ( bitter flavours) from olives much quicker.
Pete

I put 5kg olives in cloth bag with 2kg of salt. Let the bag hang until no liquid runs out. Then bottle. They lasted 1 year.

The salt draws out the juice, but then did you rinse the salt off? Then did you bottle them in vinegar or vinegar-and-water, with herbs, garlic, etc., or did you just save them as they were? Or wot? (said the Akond of Swat.) Were they green? D'you know the variety?
I have a baby manzanilla olive tree - one day it'll produce those big, fat, green ones that are such a treat.

I used that to murder my husband - I'm not going to use it for olives!

Priorities-right on lady!
Our neighbour gave us a huge jug of their home grown olives after the whole soaking process-they were horrible.I just buy them because they aren't expensive. Olive trees however are way too much work.
As an aside..... how did you do it?

Shhhh! If I tell, they'll all be at it.