A perfect Sunday for pickling

I was having a tidy up of the garden this morning and had a quick squeeze of the onions and shallots that have been drying out in a big cardboard box in the shed, and decided that they are now ready for pickling.  Well, the larger ones will be kept in the larder for everyday use, some shallots, which I adore using in cooking, will stay in a paper bag in the fridge, but the rest will be bottled in spiced vinegar.

Here they all are.

We are quite please all in all, because this is our first ever crop from our allotment, and the best thing is I only had to sling about half a dozen in the bin because they looked either diseased in some way or had gone chalky or rotten. 

Having never pickled onions before in my life, although I have probably eaten my whole body weight of the things over the years, I consulted 'Pam The Jam's recipe for pickled onions in the preserving River Cottage Handbook.  I don't think I can go wrong if I follow her basic pickled onion advice. 

I also fancy making this recipe, passed to me by Mamta, next time we have an Indian meal, probably one day in the week.  A fresh and zingy Indian onion pickle.  Sounds delicious.

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=13115 

Thanks Mamta.

Keep an eye out of photos of the finished pickles in the next day or two.  And that Indian pickle too.