For a brine-cure, place the prepared olives in a mixture of 1 part salt to 10 parts water, making sure they're submerged, and leave for 3 to 6 weeks, changing the brine every week and shaking the pan once a day.
Once the olives have been cured, they are ready to be put into the brine. Combine 1 part salt (Rock salt or Sea salt) to 10 parts water and pour over the olives in a bowl or pot. Weigh them down with a plate and let sit for 1 week. Drain the olives and repeat the brining process for another week. Do this two more times so they brine for about a month or so. (I have brined them for longer)
Once the bitterness has gone, tip out the salt brine and refill the container with fresh water. Soak your olives in fresh water for a day or two. This will help remove some of the salt.
A vinegar brine is at a ratio of 3 part salt, 10 part vinegars, 40 parts water. For example, 30g salt, 100g vinegar and 400g water makes about half a litre of vinegar/salt brine.
Cover the olives with the vinegar brine and flavourings. Ensure the olives are submerged under the brine. Pour over a little layer of olive oil which will stop oxygen touching the olives. Screw the lid on the jars, and let them sit for a week to infuse the newly added flavours before sampling.
Olives like this can store in a sealed jar for up 6 months in a cool dark place, or in the refrigerator for up to a year. Once opened (meaning, once the olives are no longer kept under the olive oil), use within a month.
The brine for jars was filtered water, red wine vinegar and a little salt.