Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: cheshirecheese on July 11, 2011, 12:35

Title: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: cheshirecheese on July 11, 2011, 12:35
I've always used the brine method when preparing pickled onions, leaving them for at least 24 hours before rinsing, drying and then bottling in whatever combination of vinegar and spices I'm using.  However, I've read two or three recipes lately (including Val's on here) where the onions are just layered with salt and left overnight rather than submerging them in brine.  They're then rinsed, dried and bottled in the same way.  Anybody know if it makes any difference?
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: mumofstig on July 11, 2011, 12:43
Dry salting removes some of the 'juice' from the onions so the vinegar can get further into them. A good idea if your onions are 'strong'  ;)
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 12, 2011, 18:09

I'm hoping to have 'crunchy' onions this Christmas so I'll be watching this discussion with interest.  Up to now, they've been a bit soggy towards the end of Yule. >:(   

So if anyone has a failsafe recipe.  ::). . .. ...  .. .. . ..Cheers,   Tony.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Aunt Sally on July 12, 2011, 18:20
I've always used very strong brine.  I've had no complaints about soggy onions (or in my case shallots).
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 12, 2011, 19:00

Funilly enough the reason for my question was that I've just cleared all the shallots from our allotment.  So it is the strength of the brine that keeps 'em crunchy ? ? ?  What mix of salt and water do you recommend ?   :) Cheers,   Tony.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Aunt Sally on July 12, 2011, 19:38
Cold water with "lots of" salt - no idea quite how much that is.  The strong salt solutions sucks the water out of the shallots/onions which is then replaced by the vinegar and they then crisp up.  They should feel rather flabby after being in the salt solution.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: cheshirecheese on July 13, 2011, 17:14
Thanks for the responses - I decided to use the brining method again this time, but have added more salt.  My original recipe said 2oz salt per pint of water, but I've increased this to 3.5oz.  I'm going to have another go just using dry salt at the weekend as an experiment in order to make a comparison.  Obviously I won't know till they've matured and I can taste them/assess them for the 'crunch factor', but I'll post any further developments in about 4-6 weeks' time!  I'm also using shallots, and have tried a new recipe this time with balsamic vinegar in addition to my usual blend of spices, so they look wicked ... literally (i.e. very dark)!
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Aunt Sally on July 13, 2011, 17:35
Make the brine stronger !!!!

This recipe uses one litre of water with half a kilo of salt :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A655535
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: cheshirecheese on July 13, 2011, 17:47
WOW!!  Makes the recipe I've been using look positively faint-hearted!  Right - revised strategy then, I'll give the increased salt in the brine a go this weekend and see how we fare.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: 8doubles on July 13, 2011, 18:02
I think brine is more effective than salting unless you completely surround the onion/shallot so there are no air gaps.
Probably saves some salt using brine solution.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: cheshirecheese on July 13, 2011, 18:30
Yes, it's the uncertainty re the complete coverage that's stopped me using dry salt before - I'm defo going to try increasing the salt in the brine.  Half a kilo per litre is more or less equivalent to 8oz per pint, so approximately four times more than I'd used before!
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Malturn on July 14, 2011, 19:25
My OH always uses the dry salt method and we have had some pickled onions for 2 years and were only just starting to soften then. She only pours enough salt on to them to give them a light covering not to completly bury them.
Malcolm
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: PeterP on July 16, 2011, 10:45
I am always a bit wary about using too much salt.
So I go for the 3/4ozs per pint (or even less.
And shallots do keep much better than onions.
The other question is;
Do you peel them before or after the soaking ?
I changed to leaving the skins on some years ago, and found it works quite well.
We are still eating crunchy shallots from last year.
As to watering eyes ... I tend to do it outside in the fresh air, which takes most of aroma of the onions/shallots away.
Our family recipe does include a good dash of sherry along with a touch of brown sugar.
Way back in the 80's the BBC did a pickling series with David Mabey & David Collison, followed by a book 'The Perfect Pickle Book'.
Get hold of this book if you can
It really does cover the world.
Pete
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: rhysdad on July 18, 2011, 13:28
As a newbie to the 'pickled onion/shallot' crowd i wanted to just clear up a small question; do i need to dry/cure the shallots first or can they go into the brine freshly lifted (lifted mine Sunday just gone)!!?
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: PeterP on July 18, 2011, 17:12
Rhysdad,
For myself I just clean them up well, then stick them straight into the brine.
Normally done overnight, last thing in the evening.
No panic in the morning, sometimes it has been well into the afternoon before I have lifted them out and rinsed them, then peeled.
Some folk peel them first.
Doesn't seem to make that much difference to the little devils.
Pete
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: mumofstig on July 18, 2011, 17:22
I find they're easier to peel if soaked first ;)
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 22, 2011, 17:25

Just bought a fiver's worth of "Gurt big 'uns" from the greengrocers.  :blink: As they are biguns, I suppose the brinesoak time must be extended ?  ::)  I soaked them overnight to stop myself crying when peeling and I'm using the brownish brine again for the proper soak.   :tongue2:  Cheers,   Tony.
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: SUTTY1 on July 22, 2011, 20:14
My 1st proper effort at this, is it OK to just add the shallots to the brine in the stainless pan, followed Val's advice so far but no plastic etc bowls avaliable
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: boosmummy on July 22, 2011, 20:56
Im going to watch this thread with great interest.  This year im making hampers for Christmas - granted not with my own produce - as i have none yet  ::) but im going to make pickled onions.

I vaguely remember pickling onions when i was younger (i couldnt have been more than 6) with my uncle, we would sit in the front room with a big bag of onions taking the outer layers off  :)
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: SUTTY1 on July 22, 2011, 22:48
Dont want to steal the thread but the brine i boiled this morning, 1/2 the salt has settled to the bottom of the pan, is this ok?
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: mumofstig on July 23, 2011, 09:57
If stirring doesn't dissolve it............it means that the water has absorbed as much salt as it can (a saturated solution) or the salt had additives in to make it less likely to clump togeather, which haven't dissolved.

Either way it doesn't matter  :D
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: SUTTY1 on July 23, 2011, 23:30
Ty mos, i've had a busy day but re boiled the brine, with extra water, all absorbed and shallots now soaking 8)
Title: Re: Brine or 'dry salt' for pickled onions?
Post by: Endymion on July 25, 2011, 00:37
I try to use really fresh shallots and peel them before they've completely dried, and do them one jar at a time.

I prepare enough to fill a large jar then rinse them under the tap, shake the colander a bit and then put them back into the jar and sprinkle with cooking salt, shaking a few times to make sure they've all been touched with salt and I can see some on the inside right down to the bottom of the jar.

The next day there's always quite a lot of liquid in the jar.

The whole lot gets tipped into a colander, the onions are rinsed under the tap then dried in a tea towel and popped back into the jar, usually with a chilli and sometimes with a teaspoon of soft brown sugar, then it's slowly filled with cold spiced malt vinegar.

They don't last long.