Pickled onions

madlyn

I am going to give making pickled onions a go this year but I am finding conflicting information.
Some say soak in salty water over night others say just salt no water.
Which is correct?

Farway

May not help but I always use salty water method, not tried the salt only but that method works for red cabbage so guess same would apply to onions


No help is it? But salty water does work

YorksLass

Another vote for salty water. Be warned, your kitchen will stink of onions!

I don't bother with pickling spices or boiling the vinegar either; I just use ordinary malt vinegar (add a bit of sugar dissolved in hot water if you like sweet ones) and find they stay crispy for a good 12 months.

thriftmonster

I use salt water as well (and the Delia Honeyed recipe from the Food Aid book)

madlyn

Salted water it is then.

Thank you

TheBiggestBadger

I was under the impression that the salt was used to draw some of the moisture out of the onions prior to the pickling process.

My mother puts a plate upside down in a big bowl, puts the onions in. Sprinkles the salt on and leaves it 24 hrs. The water comes out of the onions and pools under the plate.

Farway

TheBiggestBadger wrote: »

I was under the impression that the salt was used to draw some of the moisture out of the onions prior to the pickling process.

My mother puts a plate upside down in a big bowl, puts the onions in. Sprinkles the salt on and leaves it 24 hrs. The water comes out of the onions and pools under the plate.

That's what the salt method for red cabbage does, draw the liquid out. I assume because more liquid in cabbage than onions?

purpleybat

i always found that salting or brining the onions (and red cabbage) made them go soft quicker and i like both to be crunchy.
i don't bother heating the vinegar to infuse the spices and strain it either, just bung the peppercorns, mustard seeds, chilli flakes etc etc straight in (red cabbage my family prefer plain vinegar).
i have learned tho that as i'm a contact lens wearer to leave them in when peeling the onions cos then i don't get watery eyes