Title: Pickled Onions, English
Yield: 2 pints
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Preparation time: 1/2 hours
Category: Side
Cuisine: English
Source: Daring Gourmet
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 lb small boiler onions (or larger pearl onions)
- 3/4 Tbs salt
- 1-1/2 c quality real malt vinegar
- 1 Tbs honey
- 1/4 c granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 whole allspice berrie
- 1 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaves
Instructions
To more easily peel the onions: Trim the ends off of each onion and place them in a heat proof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a minute. Then drain, rinse with cold water and remove the peels.
Place the peeled onions in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and toss to distribute the salt. Cover with a towel or loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit at room temp overnight.
To make the brine: Place all remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. While the brine is simmering, pack the onions into sterilized mason jars (plan on using either 2 pint sized jars or 1 quart sized jars). Pour the hot brine over the onions (I pour it through a sieve to collect the spices) and then distribute the spices among the jars. Stick a butter knife or other long object down into the jars to ensure there are no air bubbles. Wipe the jar rims down with a clean, damp cloth. Place the canning lids on the jars (or rubber rings if using) and screw/snap shut while hot to create a vacuum seal. Let the onions cool and then place them somewhere at room temp to mature for at least 3 to 4 weeks before eating, preferably 6 to 8 weeks for best flavor.
Notes
For those interested in canning them via the water bath method for long-term storage, note that there's a significant tradeoff: They will store longer, yes. But they will also lose a lot of their crunch, which is a huge part of their enjoyability. For the best results simply pack the onions in jars and pour the hot vinegar over them; the heat from the vinegar is usually sufficient to create a vacuum as it cools seal the lids (a seal adequate for a few weeks storage at room temp during the maturation period while the flavors are developing). At the conclusion of the maturation period and once opened, store them in the fridge where they will keep for