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I bought a pound of fresh olives and am attempting to cure them...they are in the process of being flushed with water now.

I may have missed it here but exactly how does one cure the olives in salt and brine, step by step?

I was at the Santa Monica Farmers Market last week and loved the look of the olives but this is one thing I have never worked with (fresh).

Specifics would be lovely.

Brine Curing
(recommended for black olives)

Wash olives. With a sharp knife, make a cut in the meat of the olive (top to bottom) without cutting the pit. In a pan, soak the olives in brine (1 part salt to 10 parts water). Make sure the olives are submerged (use something to weight them down) and cover. Cure the olives for 3 weeks, shaking the pan each day and changing the brine each week, then taste for bitterness (they could take up to 5-6 weeks depending on the olives). When they taste the way you want, place in jars with brine (1 part sea salt to 10 parts water), add 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and top with a layer of olive oil.

Dry (Salt) Curing
(recommended for small black olives)

In glass jars, alternate layers of olives with coarse salt. Every day for 3 weeks, shake well and add more salt to absorb the juices. Test for bitterness (rinsing the olive first). Continue to cure if bitterness remains, otherwise, add warm water to cover and 4 tablespoons of good quality red wine vinegar, and top with a layer of olive oil. They will be ready to eat after 4-5 days.

I've done the salt cure, and it's not hard, but you really need to stay on top of it.

JacksonMarie, there are a few links to curing instructions in the Seasonal Spotlight post.