Preserving And Pickling Onions The most common way to preserve onions, other than by drying, is by pickling.
Small onions are brined and then steeped whole in vinegar to be eaten with salads and sandwiches.
It is not known for certain when the tradition of pickling onions began.
Pickled onions were certainly often made at home in the mid-eighteenth century but usually as a thrifty way of making use of small bulbs which had not grown to a useful culinary size.
Herbs and spices used in onion pickles arc peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves, although coriander seed and dried chilies are also becoming popular for hotter varieties of preserves.
Flavor is principally determined by the type of vinegar used - the most common is malt vinegar, a sharp, dark brown by-product of the beer-brewing industry.
A lighter cider vinegar may also be used, however, and white wine vinegar has also been favored by some cooks, notably Eliza Acton.
A much-loved, recently discovered deli treat is pickled onions in balsamic vinegar - sweet, nutty and delicious.
Much of the flavor of pickled onions also depends on the actual bulb used - I much prefer a mild variety such as Topper or the Paris Silver Skin, but those who like to breathe fire for an hour or so after eating should prepare their pickles with hotter varieties of onion such as Springfield.
Pickles, relishes and chutneys almost inevitably have a high proportion of onions, whatever the other ingredients and before refrigeration must have provided a welcome burst of flavor during the dull winter months.
Storing onions Like all produce to be kept for later use, Onions are best stored in a cool, dark place like a shed or a garage, but it must be frost-free.
If onions freeze, their cell structure will rupture on thawing and the crop will be wasted if not used immediately.
Bulbs can be stored in loose hunches, or hung in nets if you have no time or inclination to plait them in the traditional way.
Do check them regularly and remove any which are soft to avoid spoiling the whole crop.
Onions generally keep better when hung, rather than being stored in boxes.