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Onion seeds to Make Pickled Onions

NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
in Fruit & veg
I fancied producing some pickled onions for my neighbour for her Christmas

I went on Marshalls and ordered from the picture of the small white onions that we accept as the ones for pickling.

Today I received some " Unwins "....Bedfordshire Champions from marshalls which I dont remember ordering.

This is because of the times we live in and I have no problem.

This Dopey Question number 47B.

Do you just pull onions when they are smaller and pickle them or are there specific varieties designed for pickling.

Advice please friends.
Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.

Posts

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Don't know about 'right' onions @NewBoy2 I just pickle the ones that refuse to grow up! I prefer larger milder onions so I grow Bedfordshire Champion and Ailsa Craig but they don't all come up to scratch, being a bit mean about veg I just pickle the smaller ones and they taste just fine!
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Watching this one, as I have the same question. I just put in some spring onions, it states on the packet leave in for pickling, variety is Purplette. Only problem is that the packet didn't have a huge number of seeds.

    My mum use to do killer pickled onions, would love to do some for Christmas this year.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    You can't beat shallots for pickling but it might be a touch too late to get the sets planted now for a crop this year.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    wild edges said:
    You can't beat shallots for pickling but it might be a touch too late to get the sets planted now for a crop this year.
    I like shallots for pickling but otherwise I used to use the ones that just wouldn't grow. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    I use the runt onions because I have a very old preserving book which I treasure and it says use button onions which is what the runts were known as back in the mists of time.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Now I know why my Dad grew a lot of shallots but I never remembered them served on a dinner plate.  :)
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I have pickled bedfordshire champions,  I grew them specifically for pickling. So sow your onions in groups of 10-15 and then plant them out in that group. there is so much competition that none of them will get larger than a golf ball and most will be much smaller.
    You still need to wait for them to die down just as you would if they were normal size. I find it's best if you let them fully dry for storage before pickling, as it lets the tops close up and gives a firmer pickled onion and a nicer (in my opinion) shape. If you look to the far right of this picture you can see 2 jars of pickled onions, the far right taller jar is Paris silverskin, and the one next to it is bedfordshire champion, so are the onions in the middle.. but rather larger versions!

  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    herbaceous

    ? Have you sown Ailsa Craig in the Autumn to over winter.

    On the Unwins packet it says I can only sow in Jan to April and harvest in Aug and Sept 


    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    No @NewBoy2 sowed them in Feb, just potted them into bigger pots to go out in 2 or 3 weeks. I expect to harvest them Sep/Oct depending on the weather and my inclination  :)
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
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