Time to start growing your pickled onions!

Last Christmas two different English friends decided that we would like some pickled onions. One pot was Haywards one was Sainsbury's own brand. Both where amazing disappointing! Luckily that little helpful voice in the head reminded me of my grand mother berating the pickled onions you buy as you should grow your own and they should be shallots! (These modern ones have no flavour...!)

So this time last year a planted some shallots and other than weeding around them ignore them completely. When it seemed like harvest time I pulled them all up and sorted the hundreds and hundreds of bulbs into small, medium and large. Then set about pickling a variety of sizes. Luckily someone gave me 1 5litre pot that was perfect and several other pots of different, large sizes.

The skins are very difficult to get off and made the fingers sore. I’ll post the recipe seperatly.

In November my other half turned up at lunch with the smallest pot and said "when are these for?". I managed to say Christmas just as that resound click could be heard as the pot opened in his hands....

Well the first pot was brilliant and well worth the effort. The very large pot got seriously attacked at Christmas by appreciative persons and there is still a large on to look forward to.

And now the smallish shallots are back in the ground to grow some more excellent pickled shallots!

I'm not so sure about pickled onions, but having seen the price of shallots, I am tempted to grow some

I always use shallots rather than onions!

But I don't put mine in until the ground has warmed up a bit, yet....

Do you water them with vinegar... :suspect:

sparhawk wrote:Do you water them with vinegar... :suspect:

The water comment from someone whoses pickled onions blow your head off, . :bom:

Thanks for that tip. I have decided to go for shallots this year.
Pol

I was lucky we had some warm days in the 1st week of Feb over here. (The tradional time for planting shallots in the north of England!)

Looking forward to easier peelings with AJB method! :cheers:

Shallots traditionally put in on the shortest day, harvested on the longest.
My first lot went in on Monday; will be doing more though, much the nicest for pickling.

A bit like garlic then. Makes for a good session.

I only just got around to getting my shallots in, they should be harvested just as the tops start to wilt. I start pickelling them tomorrow. I'll post the recipe....need to type it in "not on line"

The recipe I use....

Pickled Shallots

225g / 8oz Salt
1.5l / 2.5pints water
1kg / 2 ¼ shallots

Spice vinegar:
1l /1.75 pints malt vinegar plus extra in needed
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
2 – 3 mace blades
12 allspice berries
1 tbsp black pepper corns

For the brine, put the salt into a large china or glass bowl, add half the quantity of water boiling to dissolve the salt and add the rest as cold.

Top and tail and peel off all the skin of the shallots after first pouring over them boiling water and soak for 1 minute and then cooling in cold water.

Immediately place them in the brine as you peel them.

Leave in the brine for 24hrs.

Make the spiced vinegar. Put the vinegar and the spices in the pan, stir and warm for 3- 4 mins. It does no need to boil.

Wash the brine off the shallots in cold running water. Pack into warm sterilised jars. Pour on the vinegar ensuring that all shallots are well covered. Seal jars. Check after a few days and top up with more malt vinegar if necessary.

Leave for in the least 1 month before eating!

Roughly the same recipe as I do.

I am the only one in our family who likes pickled onion/shallots.

I tend to make just enough for me plus a few jars to give away as gifts ( well received!) or to donate to sell at school events.

I think it is like a lot of stuff you either LOVE them or hate them...

I don`t brine mine, tried it once & they were not very nice.

Oh? I find they stay crisper if you brine, at least for a bit?

But chacon a son gout and all that.... :=)

The leaving for 24hrs in brine is to draw out the water - same with any pickle. You must wash it off in running water. The reduced water content then allows the vinegar to penetrate more quickly. This preserves it better and faster and as CW says keeps it crisper as its not going soggy whilst absorbing the vinegar.

We are a 3/3 family for eating MY pickle shallots...its probably 0.5/3 for bought pickled onions!!

A pickled onion is a thing of beauty.