Perfect Pickled Onion Recipe

This recipe shows not only how to make mouth watering pickling vinegar, but also tricks to easily peel shallots and how to keep your pickled onions crisp and crunchy

Music credits:
Artist = Earth Tree Healing
Composer = Claudine West

[sharonbrown]

Love all of your video's! I am here in Australia, growing most of my own food and using my bees for mead. I also make wine and spirits. My final challenge is to learn to make cheese. Your video's are full of information, love every single one!

[juttley]

Hi Hugh, I made 24 jars with two sacks of onions. Followed your recipe and I tried them for the first time yesterday. Absolutely awesome, a really nice tang to it, with a good crunch to the onion, with a bit of heat as well. My wife enjoyed them and I took 4 jars to my father who is currently shielding and he loves them as well. Will be my go to recipe now each year. Thanks so much for sharing.

[pattypan]

I like your take on this. I tend to flavour the vinegar and put it back into its canister and then when I am ready to do the pickled shallots I have a nicely flavoured and spiced vinegar. I use a little bit of muslin to put the spices in and then tie it up with a bit of string and then hang it off my wooden spoon. I dry my own chillies and pop one into each jar as well together with bay leaves and black peppercorns. I have to buy my shallots or pickling onions but the other thing I always do when preparing for pickled onions is do extra of either and then pop them in the freezer as is. It helps caramelise roast potatoes if you put a couple in the roasting pan and gives a bit more flavour to meat juices which I utilise when making gravy. They also go into stews and casseroles. Keep up the good work you are doing brilliantly.

[brucefields]

Also, a genius point you made about competing flavors on the palate with the strong flavor of both the onion and malt vinegar

[thornwarbler]

Oh mate they're give this a for this

[chrisfox]

I've been knocking up pickled onions for a while. Around 30 years. My preference is the hot variety that bites back. Unless you grow your own shallots or pickling onions it can get expensive

I use the value or wonky onions you can get for buttons in the supermarket. Larger than the pickling variety but small enough to get into a jar. Brining or salting really does give you a proper crunch so don't skimp on that step people.

Experiments on going with dry spicing directly into jar. Looks good in distilled malt vinegar adding a touch of class to the home made gift. Takes longer for the flavour to develop but you can't rush quality. First tried the idea with eggs to avoid discolouring and dust settling at the bottom of the jar. it worked ok but needs a couple of tweeks.

[rho]

Absolutely fantastic video! I watched several but this is by far the best 😁. I have done pickled eggs a couple of times, now to try pickled onions. I'm inspired also to grow my own shallots. Excellent 👌

[deborahfebruary]

Interesting. I'm going to let you know how mine came out and how it tasted.❤

[johnwilliam]

😊 definitely going to try this, looks awesome. Thank you!

[brucefields]

Quite the different take on the pickling spices! I've never cooked with juniper berries or allspice berries, so I'm curious. Ironically, I have some green cardamom

[KnackFarmer-theanswerismeat]

The 'scene' of the spices floating on the vinegar is fabulous -- I'd also recommend you either make or invest in (v. small investment!) an Otoshi Buta or 'Drop Lid' - you can make one from food safe offcuts of timber or pick up one of the stainless steel, expanding/multi sizing, versions from A&azon. It will ensure all those lovely spices are held under the liquid line for maximum infusing!

[matthewtanner]

Thanks for putting this video up. I've been shocked recently at prices in the shops for a big jar of pickled onions, it's been between £8.99 and £10.99 so I've planted my own shallots in an effort to produce my own. I've liked and subscribed so looking forwards to finding other things from you that I can also produce myself.

[adamlee]

I toast my pickling spices in the pan before adding the vinegar to boil. Adds flavour. But love your video.

[paulrumbold]

Hi buddy, reminds me of my 1970s childhood, my Nan made these, but as a kid I did not know how it happened . We have such history in England & long may it continue . Thank you for sharing . Great video

[milliebennett]

Harvested ours today., looking forward to pickling

[joanneineson]

Great video, thank you! Could find all the spices at our local Asian supermarket bar the juniper berries, but luckily the supermarket had some - not something they normally carry so was lucky. Have done the malt vinegar - which smells fab, and prepped the onions, bottle tomorrow! Will keep you posted!!

[williamproctor]

Love the knowledge and passion. Can't wait to try!

[dunderwood]

I'm so excited to try and make these shallots!! Ty for sharing ur secret recipe❣️

[MrPaddy]

Great video, Hugh, thanks. It's different to the recipes I've used to date, but I'm intrigued, so I think I'll give it a try. I do like the combination of spices you've suggested.

[TALKCalgary]

Amazing video. How I miss the my homeland!

Couple of thing I would do different is skipping the boiling water step. because I find it softens the onions slightly. Also, I don't salt because I like the onion raw onion taste. Oh one more thing I do is condense the malt vinegar by 1/3 to increase the acidity to around 7%.