Tbag

I pickle my own onions, its cheaper and you get double the onions for the price you would have paid for one jar
If you do them now they will be ready for Xmas
Here's an easy recipe if your'e interested.......

Pint of water & 2oz salt mix together add 1lb of peeled white onions or shallots. Leave for 24hours in fridge.

Following day, drain onions and rinse, pack in to jar

Bring to boil, 12 - 14 oz of malt vinegar, a couple of cloves and a pinch of mustard seeds. Allow to cool and then pour over the packed onions.

Screw lid on tight, leave in a cool dark closet or pantry..... Ready to eat in 6 - 8 weeks!

Bobs your uncle!..... did mine last week...can't wait to gobble them up with some ham & Turkey

clydegirl

You should have your own recipe thread

Tbag

Thank you I don't like to pay for stuff I know i can make myself, if it's a good recipe of course! I make my own marmalade too both my mums recipes
I come from a family of Cooks and Chefs..........

Patrick Hasler

I spent 4 years working for Tesco in the UK...... The rules were that even if there was alarge supermarket in any town Tesco would buy some land, build a supermarket and sell everything cheeper than the rival even if the whole store ran at a loss, once the other store was financially destroyed and closed up went Tesco prices.

paddingtongreen

I have done that except I saved the vinegar from commercial onions. My book says the vinegar should be 7% acid for pickling, and the stores have only 5%. do you get pickling vinegar sent from UK?

We used to mash up some cheddar in some of the leftover vinegar, and spread it on bread, it was known, back then, as "mock crab".

Tbag

Not heard of mock crab before..........sounds yummy will try it
I use the London pub type vinegar or Sarsons which I recently found here..... they usually come out great with that.... I did the same tho this time and added some leftover vinegar from a jar my mum gave me last time I was home.
The American pickling spice is a bit intense I found so I just put in the cloves and the mustard seeds now.........

Cape Blue

Till then you'll just have to survive with the little Brit shop on 15th at Potrero for Brit stuff, or Real Foods for something healthy.

cutina

oooh thanks! my nan always used to make them- i'm going to try it

Tbag

You are very welcome ............they are really easy and taste like home

paddingtongreen

Thanks for the info. My mother is from a big family, my mum was the oldest of fourteen living, my youngest uncle is a couple of years older than me. They all lived in the Taunton area and most of them seem to grow rows of shallots, even if they don't grow other vegetables. Different people used different amounts of pickling spice and one uncle puts some capers in the vinegar. I never knew how strong they would be. By the time I had it worked out, it was time to head back to London and the new school term. They used to put them in gallon jars, just as well, we used to have some cuthroat cardgames on a Sunday afternoon and evenings when large quantities were consumed because we ate bread and cheese and pickles because nobody wanted to stop to get dinner.

gardnma

These are the little anecdotes which are fun to read and although very personal, can invoke a familiar image.

blaze

Yes, they would, all the Brit locals!

blaze

For putting in martinis?

paddingtongreen

I put up some memories on a forum in the UK, that covered my connection with the town. Then I added some from WW2 because they asked. My firstborn daughter demanded that I keep adding but to keep a record on my machine for them. Perhaps I'll use my blog to build up a collection. One of the people in the card game was my uncle Paul. He is a Secular Jew and was from the East End, he was put in the Somerset Regiment and posted to Taunton where he palled up with my blood Uncle Norman. Through him, he met and married my Aunt Joan. They had a child size billiard table and he taught us to play. Then he bet me half a crown that he would give me a 99 point start on a game to 100, and if he got first shot he would beat me. I took him up on it. he went to take his shot, stopped and offered to bet me five bob that I wouldn't even get a shot, obviously, I bet him. He then put his cueball straight into the pocket, giving me the game. He payed me the half-a-crown for winning, and I paid him twice as much because I didn't get a shot. He is still my favourite uncle.

paddingtongreen

Name names, Lady, which wine store, or is it just a local. I bought the roomba because you were so high on it and I have a hatred for vacuuming. I have old wood floors and short napped carpets. I have to pick up junk from the floors before I let it go. I'll be interested to see the reactions of the cats.