What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

Dead easy Mary, there are a few ways but this is what i do........buy a small bag to have a try ....say 2 lbs ....

top tail and peel enough onions , have a jar ready and sterilised ....as you peel start filling the jar ...pack them in but do not force them .....when you get the jar full.....fill the jar with cold water and empty ...three times ...then fill with cold water to the top once more , then add 1 teaspoon of (sugar) pop the lid on and shake it...leave it 12 to 24 hours .......remove the lid and empty the water(only) then refill with cold water again 3 more times....the jar is now empty of water....but full of onions.....lets say your jar is 1 lb......add pickling spice 1 teaspoon ....for extra wallop i pop in some crushed chillies (Schwarts pickling spice) is on offer right now Mary at Morrison's 2 boxes for two pounds .....that's four packets ...enough for 12 1 ib jars...next fill your jar two thirds full of malt vinegar ...normal ....any will do but Sarsons is what i use .....then fill the jar to the top with cold water.....cut a piece of polythene bag place to the top and screw on the lid ...give a shake.....then leave for a minimum of 6 weeks somewhere cool and dark ....then you'r ready to rock.....take some time when you open up the jar Mary ...(get rid of the other half...send him out for something you do not really want ! ) this is very serious stuff and no added interference of any kind must hinder your total enjoyment ! and experience ....tip have a slice of extra mature cheese at the ready ....take one out (no not with your fingers Mary....dirty girl.....a spoon or folk....we are not piggies Mary) ...tilt your head back slightly and pop one in you gob ....no ...no ...not yet ! Mary you must resist crunching and munching in an uncontrolled frenzy ....the correct method is first bite in half then offer up the cheese slice and gently ....gently take a small bite and using your gob like a cement mixer apply equal amount of pressure with munching and crunching going on in the background until completely depleted ....at this stage ...it would be completely normal for you to feel a special bonding process taking place....in some extreme instances you may even hide your jar from hubby....its okay Mary ....i will PM you help line numbers ....shallots the same method.......i will not admit any liability for anything !

[Straight Shooter]

P.S.
small pickling onions are the best !

when emptying the water put your palm over the neck (the onions never leave the jar)

they stay good for 8 months ...however if you salt instead of sugar a year is about it

[MaryN]

Thanks, SS. I'll track down some onions and have a bash. Sounds lovely.
P.S. The chance of hiding pickled onions from OH is ZERO or less than zero! He could put a truffle pig to shame!

[Mortblanc]

You need to transfer this little chat into the food preservation section. It is a good recipe and it will just get lost and buried here in this off topic thread!

Someone googling it might find it very useful if it is over in food preps.

[Straight Shooter]

To be fair MB i stumbled on this recipe on YT years ago and been doing it that way ever since ....i think the guy was from the London area ....traditional pickled onions is the heading in my book ....i will try that and see if comes up and get back and put it in the food prep section.....the credit should go to this guy ...i am just someone who does it his way ....they really are the best you will taste .....but i do not mention any of this when people tell me my onions are the best....i get amnesia.....but except all the love.

[Straight Shooter]

Well the power went off at 9.25 am and came back up around noon but no problems for us ..just went shopping to make use of the down time. I did set the Genny up last night just in case but no need , just started up on the second pull , all my wiring checked out , did not set up the solar .....all now back in its place. Had a late start on the elderberry syrup just finished the first batch made 4.5 pints , one more batch tomorrow...same quantity and a will start some wine at the same time... blackberry and some elderberry.

[Straight Shooter]

Knocked out the second batch of elderberry syrup .....but half the volume than the first (i have other plans for the remaining elderberries) started off another batch of blackberry wine.....today i pickled some garlic two one pound jars.....and one 1 pound jar of garlic covered in honey.....plus two one pound jars of fermented garlic (this lasts years) and a real good prep (known to many preppers) ....but for those who do not ......all you need is a glass jar ...quart ...place full bulbs/or split into gloves (do not peel anything) place in and fill the jar ....cover with apple cider vinegar ...add a weight to the top to make sure all garlic is held down and submerged ....grease proof paper cover then screw on the lid tight....leave it in a cool dark place for (one year) then use how you like ...leaving the liquid in the jar (it may turn a dark colour ...this is quite normal) the taste is mellow ! .....will pickle some Jalapeno chilli from my polytunnel tomorrow ....got loads of it .....i tried some... a little nibble yesterday ....oh aye ....they are hot !

[Straight Shooter]

Started a gallon of elderberry wine, yesterday.....its that time of year again ...the dehydrator is set up on top of the worktop in the brew shed, picked some chillies out the polytunnel and sliced them up (setting aside the seeds and the seed stem ) slices were about 5mm wide ..done four trays full , just about filled two small jars ......then onto the chilli oil .....bought two oil bottles with dispensing tops ....so sterilised them ...dropped in some chilli seed and stems along with some rough cut chilli flesh and one large garlic clove chopped and dropped that in......filled both bottles with extra virgin olive oil....and that's it ....done ...leave in a cool dark place for a few weeks to infuse......second onion sowing are not far off ready and the winter crop of onions and garlic are making a show and digging themselves in nice .....still picking loads of runner beans will do another run of runner bean & carrot chutney.......will brew up one more batch of beer .....then its garden tidy up time and sorting out all the polytunnels out over the coming weeks ready for winter .

[Pete Grey]

At the moment sorting out BOB, needs checking as present contents may not be enough for winter (can’t remember what’s in it, last checked in the spring.

Also packed a 3 day food box for the GH vehicle. The camper always has a 2 week supply.

This time of year with not much to do in the garden i find it’s a good idea to do checking and updating.

[Straight Shooter]

Yes Pete its that time of year once again....i will be going through all preps during the coming weeks/months.... busy time for us all ,fall leading into winter....the forum will pick up some traffic ......more people tend to wake up this time of year.