Pickled Onions

sussexbaker

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right forum for this question, but here goes anyway!

I was going to pickle a batch on onions today (I'm ashamed to say not my own produce) so yesterday I peeled them then covered them in salt. Now I thought this was supposed to crisp them up, but it appears to have had the exact opposite effect, they now really soft and I'm not sure if I should bother pickling them at all. Any suggestions gratefully accepted!

DawnW

They will be fine. Rinse the salt off them, dry them carefully, put in jars and cover with cold vinegar. Either use ready made pickling vinegar, or alternatively scatter some pickling spices among the onions and use ordinary vinegar. Seal and leave for at least 2 weeks. Perfect for Christmas enjoy

Badrick

The salt draws out water, then when you cover onions with vinegar, it's absorbed into the onions.
Another method is to simmer pickling spices in vinegar for 10 minutes, cool and strain liquid and add to onions in jar, seal and use from 4 weeks onward.

Farway

Bit late now, but you soak the peeled onions in brine, not cover in salt

But once rinsed off should be fine

I just use bog standard smart price malt vinegar, but the Sarson's in jar is handy just for the jar

cyclonebri1

Without cribbing someone else's thread I hope, I sampled my 1st of this years crop of gherkins yesterday. Must admit this is the 1st year I've done them.

Nothing special simply washed and covered in correct or should I say specific pickling vinegar. I understand that they need this as it is stronger so it isn't diluted by the high water content of the fruit.

But they do taste too strong for even my leather innards.
Any comments?

Farway

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Without cribbing someone else's thread I hope, I sampled my 1st of this years crop of gherkins yesterday. Must admit this is the 1st year I've done them.

Nothing special simply washed and covered in correct or should I say specific pickling vinegar. I understand that they need this as it is stronger so it isn't diluted by the high water content of the fruit.

But they do taste too strong for even my leather innards.
Any comments?

I have never pickled gherkins, but do eat the Lidl ones, and no they are not gut rot strong

Regarding vinegar, you may well be right on gherkins because they have high water content, I have never had problems with onions though

cyclonebri1

Farway wrote: »

I have never pickled gherkins, but do eat the Lidl ones, and no they are not gut rot strong

Regarding vinegar, you may well be right on gherkins because they have high water content, I have never had problems with onions though

Try the cheapest ones asda do, I find them the best and pretty cheap. That's coming from someone who eats at least a jar per week:D:D:D
I did try to reuse the jars and spiced vinegar as I have so many used jars, big failure due to the vinegar being already diluted and not strong enough to prevent fermentation. Fizzy pickles anyone??:D

I think those of us who does do our own pickles, be it onions or beetroot or gherkins etc, do a lot to dispel the myth that this is all about saving money. If it really was then it would be a false economy, the cost of the vinegar alone is almost as much as a jar of pickles.
Nothing beats the satisfaction of chomping your homemades:T

sussexbaker

Well I guess the proof is in the tasting! I cracked open some I made using the same method (actually they sat in the salt for a couple of days as work got hectic). When I'd put them in they were really soft, but a month later I've just had a few and they're all beautifully crunchy. So hopefully this batch will be a good (actually I'm hoping it'll be better as the vinegar for the last batch was a Tom Kerridge thing and the star anise and cinnamon gave it an....odd taste). Now if only I had a nice beer and some good cheese I'd be in heaven!

Farway

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Try the cheapest ones asda do, I find them the best and pretty cheap. That's coming from someone who eats at least a jar per week:D:D:D

A bit OT, but following your advice went looking for the Smart Price ones today, none there, only Asda own brand, but did get some Smart Price pickled onions anyway

cyclonebri1

Farway wrote: »

A bit OT, but following your advice went looking for the Smart Price ones today, none there, only Asda own brand, but did get some Smart Price pickled onions anyway

Sorry for confusing you, they weren't smart price, they were simply the cheapest they stock of their own label, much nicer than any others I've had:D

cyclonebri1

sussexbaker wrote: »

Well I guess the proof is in the tasting! I cracked open some I made using the same method (actually they sat in the salt for a couple of days as work got hectic). When I'd put them in they were really soft, but a month later I've just had a few and they're all beautifully crunchy. So hopefully this batch will be a good (actually I'm hoping it'll be better as the vinegar for the last batch was a Tom Kerridge thing and the star anise and cinnamon gave it an....odd taste). Now if only I had a nice beer and some good cheese I'd be in heaven!

Don't get me wrong they are crunchy, just simply to acidic, ie, they give you heartburn and nothing gives me heartburn:D

Didn't treat with salt though.

These were done as just a couple of replacement plants for failed tomatoes, so quite late season, nothing wrong there just didn't give much thought to it, different recipe next year methinks:D:D