Pickled Onions

[SoEzzy]

Pickled Onions are a treat I used to love...not the cocktail onions, the silverskins about the size of an olive, but bigger golf ball size onions with a bite of onion and vinegar.

I found a farm store about 4 miles from my house that had pearl onions, and had plenty as large as golf balls, and so I asked them to sort me out 5lbs of larger pearl onions, they called me today they were ready for collection.

It took an hour and a half to top and tail them all, they are all sitting in a bowl with a brine, that they will sit in for the next 24 hours.

Tomorrow I will rinse them and pack them into jars, then hot pack them with Apple cider vinegar, cardamom seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, all spice, cloves.

They will sit in a cool dark place for 4 to 6 weeks, so they will be coming out for Halloween, I wonder if the kids will want a treat or think it's just a trick!

Pictures in the morning!

Onions in the brine.



Lid to hold the onions in the brine.



Olive Oilbottle to hold down the lid on the onions.


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Here's a change Robert.

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[Bkndsdl]

Soezzy, what kind of brine are they in?

What do you mean by hot-packing?
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-Mike in Alabama

K.I.S.S. U.D.S.
My DBS
My Hybrid Build

[SoEzzy]

It's just salt, sugar, water for the brine.

Hot packing, you bring the vinegar to a boil, (or simmer), then add the pickling spices and simmer for a further 10 - 15 minutes.

Rather than heating the onions, you heat the liquid that you are going to pack them in.

Got to get some more canning jars, I old mother Hubbarded it last night and there were only 3 jars left, so I'll pick up a couple of cases today!
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[SoEzzy]

Packing day.

Rinsed the onions in a colander under running water, then loaded them into the sterilized jars.

Here they are waiting for their pickle juice!



Here they are sitting in their pickle juice, juice all the way to the top so that the lid pushes down on the onions.



When I was taking them out of the brine, they had the smell of good old fashioned pickled onions.
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[MacEggs]

I would really like to try this ... They look delicious! Thank you.
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"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Pickled Eggs

The cookers (so far).
Some Weber kettles of various age, color and size
UDS & Mini UDS
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[SoEzzy]

The hard part is waiting, you need at least 4 weeks, and they say 6 - 8 weeks make things even better... there's no way I will be waiting past the 4 week mark on these first ones.

They say to brine for 24 hours or less if you want them to be crunchy when you get around to eating them, and if they are not crunchy when you get to eat them, you can add them to other salads, etc. where the crunch can be provided by other ingredients.

If I can find more onions later in the season, I will make some more, probably in a couple of weeks, I'll go for 10 or 15lbs next time. I think 15lbs will probably be 12 jars.
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[MacEggs]

You need to show some patience, my man ...

Earlier you mention that it took you an hour and a half to top and tail 5 lbs. Too long.

When I have done my sweet pickled shallots, 3 lbs,
I boil water and pour it over the shallots to cover for no more than 3 minutes.
Drain, then T and T. Goes much quicker.

However, this may affect the process you do after that ..
_________________
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Pickled Eggs

The cookers (so far).
Some Weber kettles of various age, color and size
UDS & Mini UDS
Abby Normal ECB
Napoleon Propane Grill

[SoEzzy]

A couple of the places I looked up pickled onion recipes, suggest blanching them in boiling water, then cooling them in an ice bath, then drying them, then T&Ting them.

But as with all recipes, I found others that said that would make your onions soft!

I really like crispy onions, so I just do the work!
_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[MacEggs]

[SoEzzy]

Well at long last 28 days is over and I opened up the first half jar, it lasted about 30 minutes there were 15 pickles in there, I gave 2 away to those in the family willing to try such strangeness, there were 4 left when I stopped for the night, now I'm into the first of the full jars, and about a 1/3rd of the way down it already.

Got to go back to the farm store and buy another 40 or 50 lbs of their onions.


_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[Bkndsdl]

Saw some pearl onions at the local WM the other day.....gonna have to try this. Don't think I've ever had a pickled onion but these look so good I'm gonna try them out.
_________________
-Mike in Alabama

K.I.S.S. U.D.S.
My DBS
My Hybrid Build

[SoEzzy]

I'm down to just 3 jars left!

Try and get larger Pearl Onions, the Farm shop where I found them, sorted out the bigger ones for me, and that was a big bonus for me.
_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[jess]

Don't know how I missed this. Love pickled onions, I almost always keep a couple jars working. some straight pickled, some with a little heat and sweet. Great with a beer, on a burger, and great in a spicy slaw...

[bjorora]

They look very delicious! By the way - this onion syrup is a great healer, trust me. When you have got cold or sth drink it and you will be healty soon again
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