What to do when you have five pounds of red onions, freshly picked from the garden? Within two hours, they were sliced, canned and looking great. These sweet and sour onions are perfect for sandwiches and as a side for roasts. I use them for so many things! For the best flavour, let them sit a few weeks before opening.
This recipe is from Marisa MacClennan’s Food in Jars canning book and I highly recommend both the book and this recipe.
This recipe makes 8 250 ml jars.
Ingredients
3 lbs red onions (trimmed and thinly sliced)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar (or 1/3 cup of honey)
1 tbsp pickling salt
2 tsps mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Directions:
Prepare a canning pot and enough jars to hold 8 250 ml jars of pickled onions.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sliced red onions and cook for four minutes. Drain and set aside.
Using the same pot, combine the brine ingredients. As soon as the salt and the sugar are dissolved, add the red onions. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
Fill the jars with the onions and brine, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Use a wooden chopstick or end of a wooden spoon to remove as many bubbles from the jars as possible.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath or steam canner for 10 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the heat, leave the jars for about five minutes, then remove and set them on a wooden board or folded towel to cool. Do not disturb for about 24 hours.
Check the seals- any unsealed jars can be stored in the refrigerator. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dry place (think pantry or basement) for at least one year.
