anyone got a recipe for pickling spice

[daveylamp993]

i would like to know ingredients to make picling spice for when i pickle my onionspreferably a sweet one,,i cant seem to get it in shops nowadays,many thanks

[daveylamp993]

[grannyjanny]

I think shwartz do it in the herb & spice section of supermarkets.

[luckycharlie]

  3 pints vinegar
   1lb granulated sugar
   1 1/2 level tsp salt
   1 tsp whole mixed spice
   1 tsp peppercorns
    1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

  put vinegar,sugar,spices and salt in saucepan boil the pour into a bowl Cover with a plate and leave for 2 hours strain the use. I use this for my onions and they always turn out lovely

x Chas

[daveylamp993]

thank you lucky charlie,i will give it a try.

[PurpleHeather]

I think it is a bit of a personal taste thing. If you like a hot pickle, add a dried chili. Mustard seeds, Bay leaf is sometimes added too. In fact almost all spices in their solid form (not ground) can be used, to give a slightly varied flavour.

Cook the spices in the vinegar and remove when the vinegar is cold if you are making the sort of pickle which is eaten by the spoonful or spread on a sandwich. It can be a tastebud shock to get a hot seed in a bite of a cheese and chutney buttie.

The spices can be left in the jar with solid pickles such as onion or gherkin.

A few like their pickles very sour and omit any sugar at all.

It is a good tip to cook up a batch of pickling vinegar in advance when there is a good sunny spell and all the windows can be left open. Or do it out doors on a camping stove. Leave it outside until it is cold too.  It tends to stink the house out . The vinegar will keep for a considerable time.

[valmarg]

If you want a sweet pickled onion, you might like to try the following

4lbs shallots/pickling onions
1.5 pints pickling vinegar (which is malt vinegar boiled with pickling spice which is allowed to go cold, and strained).
.75lb demerrar sugar
3 wineglasses of sherry

Peel shallots, cover with salt (for dry brining), alternitively put 2oz salt per pound of onions and 1 pint of water, and leave to 'brine' overnight.

Rinse the onions.

Boil vinegar and sugar for five minutes.  Leave to go cold.  Add sherry.

Fill up jars, and leave for about six weeks.


Pickling spice is a mix of blade mace, allspice, cloves coriander seeds, cumin seeds, stick cinnamon, black peppercorns, dried root ginger, chillies, and anything else you care to chuck in.  It's one of those things that you can 'mix and match' to your taste.  If you like a sweeter pickled onion go for less chilli, black peppercorns, coriander seed, dried root ginger.

Hope this helps.

valmarg

[daveylamp993]

Thank you, to all who have posted a recipe,i am going to try them all.....many thanks

[valmarg]

Let us know which you prefer.

valmarg

[daveylamp993]

thank you everyone.. ive pickled the onions, they smell delicious,i cant wait to try them,i will post on here as soon as ive tried them,and let you know which i prefer ive done 21 jars,

[daveylamp993]

Many thanks to all who gave recipes for the above, All of my family and friends have enjoyed them,i tried all the recipes given and i have no preference they are all great,ive just done another 30 jars with onions bought off of the market. . . i know what they are all getting for christmas next year. . . lol . . many thanks once again

[grannyjanny]

Well done on getting more done but I would keep quiet about them if I were you. They might want them before next Christmas ;D ;D ;D.