1Put all of the unpeeled onions in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them, leave to steep in the water for 1 minute, before tipping them into a colander to drain.
2Put all of the unpeeled onions in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them, leave to steep in the water for 1 minute, before tipping them into a colander to drain.
3Put all of the unpeeled onions in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them, leave to steep in the water for 1 minute, before tipping them into a colander to drain.
4Place the onions into the bowl again and cover them with cold water now.
5Place the onions into the bowl again and cover them with cold water now.
6Place the onions into the bowl again and cover them with cold water now.
7Peel the skins off the onions, making a small cut at the root end to ease the skins off.
8Peel the skins off the onions, making a small cut at the root end to ease the skins off.
9Peel the skins off the onions, making a small cut at the root end to ease the skins off.
10Once all of the onions have been peeled, layer the peeled onions with the salt in a large bowl, cover them with a clean tea towel and leave them overnight or up to 24 hours in the salt.
11Once all of the onions have been peeled, layer the peeled onions with the salt in a large bowl, cover them with a clean tea towel and leave them overnight or up to 24 hours in the salt.
12Once all of the onions have been peeled, layer the peeled onions with the salt in a large bowl, cover them with a clean tea towel and leave them overnight or up to 24 hours in the salt.
13The following day, drain and rinse the onions thoroughly, pat them dry and pack them into some clean and sterilised jars.
14The following day, drain and rinse the onions thoroughly, pat them dry and pack them into some clean and sterilised jars.
15The following day, drain and rinse the onions thoroughly, pat them dry and pack them into some clean and sterilised jars.
16Pour the pickling vinegar over the onions in the jars, including all the pickling spices, seal the jars and allow to mature for 4 weeks before serving.
17Pour the pickling vinegar over the onions in the jars, including all the pickling spices, seal the jars and allow to mature for 4 weeks before serving.
18Pour the pickling vinegar over the onions in the jars, including all the pickling spices, seal the jars and allow to mature for 4 weeks before serving.
19Make the spiced pickling vinegar: Pour the vinegar into a large saucepan and add the sugar and the pickling spices. Bring to the boil, then take the vinegar off the heat immediately, cover with a lid and leave to go cold and infuse for 24 hours
20Make the spiced pickling vinegar: Pour the vinegar into a large saucepan and add the sugar and the pickling spices. Bring to the boil, then take the vinegar off the heat immediately, cover with a lid and leave to go cold and infuse for 24 hours
21Make the spiced pickling vinegar: Pour the vinegar into a large saucepan and add the sugar and the pickling spices. Bring to the boil, then take the vinegar off the heat immediately, cover with a lid and leave to go cold and infuse for 24 hours
Ingredients
1 kilo small pickling onions
1 kilo small pickling onions
1 kilo small pickling onions
1200 ml pickling vinegar, or malt vinegar
1200 ml pickling vinegar, or malt vinegar
1200 ml pickling vinegar, or malt vinegar
50 g salt
50 g salt
50 g salt
200 g white sugar
200 g white sugar
200 g white sugar
6 teaspoons pickling spices
6 teaspoons pickling spices
6 teaspoons pickling spices
6 teaspoons mixed peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice berries, and crumbled dry bay leaves
6 teaspoons mixed peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice berries, and crumbled dry bay leaves
6 teaspoons mixed peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice berries, and crumbled dry bay leaves
Equipment
large bowlcolanderclean tea towelclean and sterilised jarslarge saucepan
Tips
You can use a mixture of malt and red wine vinegar.
Cider apple vinegar can also be used.
Add some chilli flakes to the pickling spices for extra heat.
Pack the onions into small jars, add a paper cover and some ribbon and give them away as gifts or as part of a food hamper.
Other aromatic seeds can be used in homemade pickling spice, such as cumin, dill as well as cinnamon sticks and star anise.
If you like a little heat, then you can add a couple of dried chillies to the pickling vinegar