Preparing pickling onions
 

Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a quart of
tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing pickling onions.
3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(

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Broadback wrote:
:: Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a
:: quart of tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing
:: pickling onions. 3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(
::

pickling onions and red cabbage is something I have done in the past, but
not for a while...

peel your onions as normal and lay them out on a large tray, sprinkle salt
over them (lots!) and leave them overnight, the next day pack them into jars
and fill to the top with the vinegar of your choice.

The salt removes some of the water from them, meaning that they soak the
vinegar in quicker...the same applies to red cabbage, chop it up and cover
with salt overnight.

To prevent tears, peel them underwater and drain well before adding the
salt.


HTH

On Sat, 18 Sep 2004 15:22:04 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a quart of
tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing pickling onions.
3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(

Let them soak a minute in boiling hot water - the skins will then peel
with ease.
Wear a pair of swimmer's eye goggles!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

In article , Broadback
writes
Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a quart of
tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing pickling onions.
3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(

To prevent tears, peel the onions near to a running tap and peel them
from the top downwards. Drop them into salted water while you do the
others. That enhances their flavour, texture and keeping time.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Broadback
writes
Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a
quart of
tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing pickling
onions.
3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(

To prevent tears, peel the onions near to a running tap and peel
them
from the top downwards. Drop them into salted water while you do
the
others. That enhances their flavour, texture and keeping time.

I've always been a two-soak practitioner. Sounds like a waste of
time, and perhaps it is; but if you dump them into the first brine
without bothering to skin them, next day you can just squeeze off the
skins and nick off the tops and tails without so many tears. Hands
still stink, though!

If you want a _real_ waste of time, try Mrs Beeton's long-winded
simmer-in-milk version. I'll supply the recipe if you insist.

Mike.

"Phil L" wrote ...
Broadback wrote:
:: Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a
:: quart of tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing
:: pickling onions. 3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(
::

pickling onions and red cabbage is something I have done in the past, but
not for a while...

peel your onions as normal and lay them out on a large tray, sprinkle salt
over them (lots!) and leave them overnight, the next day pack them into
jars
and fill to the top with the vinegar of your choice.

Why? Why do you sprinkle salt over them, why do you leave them overnight to
attract bacteria etc?


The salt removes some of the water from them, meaning that they soak the
vinegar in quicker...the same applies to red cabbage, chop it up and cover
with salt overnight.

Don't you wash off the salt? If no, you are not doing your health any good,
if yes what's the point.

Peel, pop into a jar until full, sprinkle the spice in and top up with good
quality vinegar. Easy. No onions lying about, no salt contamination, do as
many jars as you want at a time. Leave for at least 6 weeks before eating
and after a year they are really good.
If you can peel them near an open window when there is a breeze so much the
better.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

[snip]

Don't you wash off the salt? If no, you are not doing your health
any good,
if yes what's the point.

Peel, pop into a jar until full, sprinkle the spice in and top up
with good
quality vinegar. Easy. No onions lying about, no salt contamination,

True. The salt comntamination has been replaced by acetic acid
contamination.

[snip]

Franz

In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
I've always been a two-soak practitioner. Sounds like a waste of
time, and perhaps it is; but if you dump them into the first brine
without bothering to skin them, next day you can just squeeze off the
skins and nick off the tops and tails without so many tears. Hands
still stink, though!

We don't 'two' soak. We drop peeled onions into brine, then drain them
well before preserving in spiced vinegar.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Franz Heymann" wrote after ...

"Bob Hobden wrote ...

[snip]

Don't you wash off the salt? If no, you are not doing your health
any good,
if yes what's the point.

Peel, pop into a jar until full, sprinkle the spice in and top up
with good
quality vinegar. Easy. No onions lying about, no salt contamination,

True. The salt comntamination has been replaced by acetic acid
contamination.


Two points on that, acetic acid is nowhere near the health risk of too much
salt and to pickle onions everyone uses vinegar anyway, so there is no worse
situation regarding acetic acid with either way of pickling.
We just don't see the point of the salt, commercial companies may use it to
speed maturing but why does a home pickler need to use it, we can leave ours
for as long as it takes, we are not tying up capital.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Franz Heymann" wrote after ...

"Bob Hobden wrote ...

[snip]

Don't you wash off the salt? If no, you are not doing your
health
any good,
if yes what's the point.

Peel, pop into a jar until full, sprinkle the spice in and top
up
with good
quality vinegar. Easy. No onions lying about, no salt
contamination,

True. The salt comntamination has been replaced by acetic acid
contamination.


Two points on that, acetic acid is nowhere near the health risk of
too much
salt and to pickle onions everyone uses vinegar anyway,

Vinegar is flavoured acetic acid.
But you are probably right in suggesting that vinegar is less
dangerous than a pickling solution of salt.

so there is no worse
situation regarding acetic acid with either way of pickling.
We just don't see the point of the salt, commercial companies may
use it to
speed maturing but why does a home pickler need to use it, we can
leave ours
for as long as it takes, we are not tying up capital.

Actually I agree with you. I was only pulling your leg.

Franz

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:
"Phil L" wrote ...
Broadback wrote:

:: Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a
:: quart of tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing
:: pickling onions. 3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(
::

pickling onions and red cabbage is something I have done in the past, but
not for a while...

peel your onions as normal and lay them out on a large tray, sprinkle salt
over them (lots!) and leave them overnight, the next day pack them into
jars
and fill to the top with the vinegar of your choice.

Why? Why do you sprinkle salt over them, why do you leave them overnight to
attract bacteria etc?

Salt partially dehydrates the onions, which in turn reduces the dilution
of the vinegar you use, offering more protection from bacterial attack.


The salt removes some of the water from them, meaning that they soak the
vinegar in quicker...the same applies to red cabbage, chop it up and cover
with salt overnight.

Don't you wash off the salt? If no, you are not doing your health any good,
if yes what's the point.

Take your pick, and the point has been mentioned...

Peel, pop into a jar until full, sprinkle the spice in and top up with good
quality vinegar. Easy. No onions lying about, no salt contamination, do as
many jars as you want at a time. Leave for at least 6 weeks before eating
and after a year they are really good.
If you can peel them near an open window when there is a breeze so much the
better.

A little salt is necessary in the diet, and in any case, the amount you
will ingest by using it as a dessicant is way down towards the
negligible end of the scale.

Strangely, people in some of the countries which use a lot of salt in
the diet are amongst the healthiest. Japanese are a case in point. About
three times as much salt is consumed per person per (choose period of
time) as in the UK. High salt intake does not *INEVITABLY* lead to
raised blood-pressure.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
I've always been a two-soak practitioner. Sounds like a waste of
time, and perhaps it is; but if you dump them into the first brine
without bothering to skin them, next day you can just squeeze off the
skins and nick off the tops and tails without so many tears. Hands
still stink, though!

We don't 'two' soak. We drop peeled onions into brine, then drain them
well before preserving in spiced vinegar.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.
I always put my onions in a bowl and pour a kettle of boiling water over.
When cooled the pealing process is much easier.
Diane

In article , Alan Gould
writes
In article , Broadback
writes
Having just spent a boring 50 minutes with a paring knife and a quart of
tears I wonder if anyone has any tips for preparing pickling onions.
3lbs done and 3 to do. :-(

To prevent tears, peel the onions near to a running tap and peel them
from the top downwards. Drop them into salted water while you do the
others. That enhances their flavour, texture and keeping time.

Or, whistle constantly. You don't have to make a proer whistleing noise
- just pucker and blow:)

--
regards andyw

The message
from "Diane Epps" contains these words:

I always put my onions in a bowl and pour a kettle of boiling water over.
When cooled the pealing process is much easier.

That's for onion rings, Shirley?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Diane Epps" contains these words:

I always put my onions in a bowl and pour a kettle of boiling
water
over. When cooled the pealing process is much easier.

That's for onion rings, Shirley?

Triple points to you, Grandsire!

Mike.