Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: DeepDigger on August 13, 2007, 10:34

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: DeepDigger on August 13, 2007, 10:34

I have grown some shallots and would like a nice recipe for pickling please. Any tips for that extra "zing" would be great. Can I also use ordinary jam jars as long as they are well washed to pickle? Ta.

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: WG. on August 13, 2007, 10:47

Make a brine solution of 2oz salt per pint of water.  Heat to dissolve and allow to cool.

Peel shallots and immerse in brine for 24 hours.  Rinse well, drain well.

Pack shallots in jars (I prefer screw-top) and top up with a decent malt vinegar (not non-brewed condiment which is acetic acid from a chemical factory).  Cider vinegar is particularly good so I use some in the mix.  Add a fresh chile / chilli or two to each jar.  Best after a month or more

Make some spiced vinegar if you like - I make it one year in advance by tipping whole spices into a gallon of vinegar (coriander, mustard seed, fenugreek, cardamom, fennel, chiles, peppercorns, cracked nutmeg, bay, allspice, cinnamon, cloves).  You can also make with a hot soak method but I don't like it so much.

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: DeepDigger on August 13, 2007, 16:46

Ok Thanks. Will give it a go.

Title: pickled shallots
Post by: meterman on August 13, 2007, 23:01

I find that if you mix large quantity of salt with peeled shallots leave overnight then rinse well then pickle they will stay crisp and not go soft for much longer salt can be dried and reused

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: DeepDigger on August 14, 2007, 10:32

Ok, will try some that way as well. Many thanks

Title: Re: pickled shallots
Post by: WG. on August 14, 2007, 10:48

Quote from: "meterman"

I find that if you mix large quantity of salt with peeled shallots leave overnight then rinse well then pickle they will stay crisp and not go soft for much longer salt can be dried and reused

Interesting thanks, I'll need to give that a try to see if they are crunchier.  Mind you, they're lovely and crunchy when wet-brined too - they've never lasted long enough to go soft.  :wink:

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: Sadgit on August 20, 2007, 09:17

I put my onions in home-made brine last night and they are soggy this morning.. I thought there were supposed to be crisp? and the brine was cold.

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: WG. on August 20, 2007, 09:22

That is the whole point.  The brine extracts excess water which lets the vinegar soak in making them nice and crisp.

Title: Pickling Onions
Post by: Sadgit on August 20, 2007, 09:27

ahhhh nice one thanks. 1st time doing this :D