This 5 kg tin holds Marmarabirlik Kuru Sele, the dry-cured black olive of Turkish breakfast tables, in the small 3XS size (381-410 olives per kilogram according to the manufacturer's range). The label describes them as Salamura Kurutulmuş: the olives are cured in brine and then dried, so they are wrinkled, dense and strongly savoury. The tin is marked Koruyucu İçermez (no preservatives), carries a Helal mark with a certificate number and a Kosher symbol, and is labelled as a cooperative product of the Marmara olive growers' union.
A tin this size is made for restaurants, cafés, bakeries, caterers and big households. Use the olives for a breakfast buffet, in meze plates, in pide and börek fillings, in bread and poğaça dough, or marinated with olive oil, thyme, garlic and lemon in a larger batch. Their salty, concentrated flavour means a few go a long way in cooked dishes.
Keep the unopened tin in a cool, dry place; the manufacturer lists a 12-month shelf life for this pack. Once opened, decant the olives into clean, airtight containers, store them in the fridge and always use clean utensils.