Pickled Onions

Written by my mother, so may contain insanity.

Cold spiced pickled onions.

This recipe does not permit salting, brining or washing of onions and expressly forbids boiling of spices in vinegar - the spices go in jar with the onions.

Ingredients

• 1kg pickling onions (you can use shallots but tend to be a bit too solid for this method)
• 1/2 litre malt vinegar (i think Drivers is best, on no account use non-brewed condiment as it is the work of the devil)
• 15g pickling spice
• whole dried red chillies

Method

Peel onions: to prevent crying leave root and tip intact until they are all peeled, then cut both ends off when ready to bottle.

Wipe with piece of damp kitchen roll if you must.

Put half the amount of spice in bottom of jar, half fill with onions. Add remainder of spice, plus 1 whole chilli if you like them hot.

Fill jar to neck with onions, cover with vinegar.

Put in cool, dark place.

Voila, c'est tout.

Will be ready to eat in 2-4 weeks, depending on size of onions. Will keep for about 3 months.