It’s coming up to Christmas and one of the things that we love in our house is pickled onions. They are just beautiful when served up with leftovers such as gammon ham and bubble and squeak on boxing day. They are also nice and easy to do and if you have a day spare a few weeks before christmas then you can get a some jars ready. You can take round as a pressie to friends when you are visiting, it’s nice to turn up with something a bit different.
I was lucky enough this year to have the help of my two boys and we had a great time sitting together peeling the onions.
Hope you enjoy the recipe and the joy of making them.
What you will need:
1kg small onions for pickling
Tablespoon of salt
800ml malt vinegar
Black peppercorns (optional)
Dried chilli flakes (optional)
Glass jars
Sieve/colander
Some little helpers (optional but lots of fun)
What you need to do is:
*top tip…. Your house and your clothes are going to smell of onions, think about what you are wearing and even consider putting on plastic gloves.
Ensure your jars are clean and sterile. I washed my thoroughly then popped in a preheated medium oven for 5 minutes then left to cool.
Now the next task is either pretty mundane or pretty therapeutic depending on how you view it. You have to peal each individual onion and gently slice off the base so that it still holds its shape but loses the tough root area.
Once they are all peeled, place in a colander and sprinkle the salt over them. Leave for 6hrs or overnight if possible. This will draw out excess water and give you crunchy pickled onions.
Rinse well in cold water and pat dry with kitchen roll.
Take your jars and pop the onions into the jars. You will need to push them about a little to get the maximum amount in and utilise the space well.
This is the time you can use some extra spices depending on your taste. I did one jar with a quarter teaspoon of dried chilli flakes to add some heat to the onions. Peppercorns are also a good addition.
When you have filled up all of your jars you can pour over the vinegar right to the top making sure they are all covered.
Put the lid on tight and you are then ready to label them.
Pop on the date, type of vinegar used and any little extra spices you’ve added to the mix.
Leave to mature for at least 4 weeks but best after 6. They should keep for up to a year unopened. Once opened store in the fridge and eat within 4 weeks. It’s home-made so times may vary slightly depending on your own preserving conditions. The main thing is…enjoy!
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