Onions for pickling

[jonny211]

Does anyone grow onions for pickling?

I've pickled some of my smaller ones in the past but is there a variery that suited to pickling sized onions, or should I just grow them in clumps to keep the size down.

Jon

[jonny211]

[landimad]

Hi Johnny,

These are the ones I have used with good results.

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Onion+Paris+Silverskin+Seeds+173608.htm?ito=2415&itc=12861&itkw=buy%20pickling%20onions&gclid=CM7uyuySn6YCFUUYzQodGRxRag

They keep their shape and the kids like them too.

[Toadspawn]

I have always grown Shallots for pickling.

[saddad]

We use shallots too... but silverskin is well recommended by Landi...  :)

[pumkinlover]

Is there a difference between silver skin onions and sping onions, I had wondered whether to try pickling spring onions? :-\

[chriscross1966]

Spring onions are bred not to bulb or to bulb very late,....

Try:
SY300, Borettana and I quite like the shallot Prisma (it's from seed) and also smaller Long Red Florence make intriguing pickles... Also if you want a white multi-purpose then Sturon is good, grow at a 1" spacing for pickles and a 6" spacing for mains... or try the clump method from module sowings... I find that you get several small maincrop onions and a couple or three picklers in a clump.....

[pumkinlover]

Thank you!

[jonny211]

Thanks for the recommendations, I always thought the silverskin ones turned out tiny like cocktail onions but I'll give them a try.

Jon

[landimad]

Johnny,

Leave them in a bit longer and allow them to swell.
I have had them grow to a good size when I forgot to look after them.
They can grow the size of any other onion but bolt when the weather turns.

[PurpleHeather]

People I know use shallots, they do have a different flavour, some even use balsamic vinegar to pickle them in but after I discovered that most supermarkets sell some very acceptable jars of own brand pickled onions extremely cheaply I got lazy.

No smelly vinegar to boil up and no eye watering onions to peel. 

I think most onion seeds will grow to a nice size for pickling after picking the inbetweens for salads.

[chriscross1966]

I never bother boiling up the vinegar.... dry salt the onions for a couple of days in a bowl in the fridge, then into jars with a tablespoon of balsamic (nothing fancy, Lidl and Alsdi do cheap ones), a decently sized homegrown chilli, a teaspoon of black pepper corns and a teaspoon of mustard seeds, top it up with plain cold malt vinegar (Tesco's value is perfectly acceptable)....

Peel the onions under water and you don't get to cry so much...