Perfect Pickled Onions Recipes

PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to cool. Once cool, trim roots and tops and peel. Sprinkle the salt over the peeled onions, stir and leave overnight.
• Next day rinse the onions well and dry with kitchen towel. Place the vinegar and honey into a large pan and gently heat just to dissolve the honey into the vinegar, but do not boil.
• Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars. Pour over the hot vinegar mixture to fill the jars, and check there are no air pockets. Seal the jars and leave to cool. The onions will be ready to eat after about 1 month or better if kept for 2. Once opened store in the fridge.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the peeled onions in a glass or ceramic bowl and cover with cold water. Drain the water into a saucepan and stir in the salt. Bring just to a boil so that the salt dissolves, then cool slightly and pour over the onions. Cover the bowl with a heavy plate so all of the onions stay submerged. Leave onions to stand for 24 hours.
• Measure the vinegar into a saucepan. Tie the pickling spice into a cloth and add to the vinegar along with the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Rinse the onions and pat them dry. Add to the saucepan with the vinegar. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pack the onions into sterile jars and ladle the brine over them until they are covered. Add a dried chile pepper to each jar if you like. Seal with sterile lids and rings and store in a cool dark place for at least 6 weeks before opening.

PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients for the onions.
• Sprinkle the salt over the dry, peeled onions.
• Stir to make sure the salt is distributed. Cover, refrigerated overnight (do not leave longer than overnight if you want your onions to be crisp).
• When ready, rinse the onions and dry with kitchen or paper towels.
• Gather the ingredients for the pickling liquid.
• Place the malt vinegar, sugar, and all the pickling spice ingredients in a large stainless steel pot.
• Heat on medium to dissolve the sugar, but do not boil.
• Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars (about two wide-mouth, quart-size canning jars, or smaller jars, if desired).
• Pour the vinegar-spice liquid over the onions to fill the jars, making sure each jar has pickling spices and that there are no air pockets.
• Seal the jars and let cool. Store refrigerated. The onions will be ready to eat after about one month.
• Peeling pickling onions is fiddly and time-consuming. To speed up the process, cut off the top and tail of the onions.
• Then place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over to cover.
• Drain the water after 10 minutes, and presto, the skins will just rub right off.
• Do not leave in the water too long or the onions will start to go mushy when you preserve them. Dry the onions with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Proceed with pickling.

ENGLISH PICKLED ONIONS (PUB STYLE)

Steps:

• 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. Don't let them sit longer than 14 hours or so or the amount of "crunch" will be compromised. Rinse well and drain thoroughly.
• 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/Kilner jars (plan on using either 4 pint sized jars or 2 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 3-4 weeks before eating, preferably 6-8 weeks for best flavor. Once opened store them in the fridge where they will keep for 3+ months.
• If canning the onions via boiling water bath for long-term storage (note: they will lost much of their crunchiness): Pack the jars as described above and wipe the rims. Stick a butter knife or other long object down into the jars to ensure there are no air bubbles. Place the lids on the jars and screw them on. Process them in a boiling water bath canner. For pint-sized jars in altitudes up to 1000 ft, process for 10 minutes (see chart in blog post for higher altitudes).Remove the jars from the canner and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Check to make sure the lids are airtight. Then store them in a cool, dark place where they will keep for up to a year. Once opened store them in the fridge where they will keep for 3+ months.

PERFECT PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut onions into very thin slices; place in two 1-quart glass jars or one large bowl, packing them tightly together. Add garlic cloves, jalapeno slices, bay leaves, and pepper flakes.
• Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Pour warm liquid over the onions and press down if necessary to submerge. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.