Bottling

suzieblue1, Jan 10, 5:15am
x1
so excited as my neighbour has taught me how to bottle fruit!Just need to get together the gear I need for this now.Any tips or suggestions on bottling asparagus most welcomed and pickled onions too please!!!Cheers :0)
olwen, Jan 10, 5:39am
Pickled Onions

Peel small onions, pack into sterilised jars, pour boiling spiced vinegar over (buy it or make your own with malt vinegar and pickling spice).Use enough to cover the onions

Can sweeten your vinegar with honey or sugar if you prefer some sweetness.

Cover and leave a month or two before enjoying.
suzieblue1, Jan 10, 9:59am
Thank you...!Few questions: when you say small onions do you mean you can use normal onions rather than pickling onions?What are the measurements for malt vinegar and pickling spice to water is it?Also how much honey/sugar please?Is pickling spice a powder?Thank you very much :-)
olwen, Jan 10, 10:18am
Pickling spice is a mix of whole spices.Your supermarket will probably have it in the Greggs packets.I bought some from the bins in Bin Inn today.You can make your own mix if you are more adventurous, and have a good spice shelf.

Greggs have a recipe for pickled onions
http://www.greggs.co.nz/recipes/pickled-onions
The proportions there would be good.I'd probably skip the salting.The purpose of that is to remove salt from the onions.
Do use pickling onions, nothing bigger.This method would also be good for shallots (and probably garlic too, although I might use white or cider vinegar as the base for the spiced vinegar there)
Don't add any water.That would dilute the vinegar and stop the vinegar preserving the onions.
juliewn, Jan 10, 12:30pm
ps.. re the size of onions for pickling them - I do the same as Olwen has posted, using the small onions sold for pickling them..

Or.. a few years ago I had a bag of large onions, and sliced them into thick rings, placed them in the jars and pickled them that way - the large thick slices were perfect to use for hamburgers, sandwiches and rolls, etc..

Enjoy your preserving.. isn't it so rewarding to do.. :-)
juliewn, Jan 10, 12:38pm
.. and my pickled onion recipe.. used by various people for over 50 years..

Peel the onions, leave small onions whole, or slice large onions as you want them..

Pile the onions into jars..

In each jar, add a little brown sugar - 2 teaspoons per 500ml jar - or you could also use honey.

Add your choice of pickling spices - these are sold in packets with the spices in supermarkets, or at Bin Inn type stores.. I use several black peppercorns per jar - you can also use whole chillies, whole cloves, etc.. depending on your taste..

Cover with your choice of vinegar.. malt, spiced, white, wine, apple cider vinegar, etc.. - don't heat the vinegar at all.. pour it straight from the bottle..

Place lids on, and keep the jars in a cool place for two weeks before using.. then enjoy.. :-)
raewyn64, Jan 10, 6:25pm
Julie when you say place lids on are you meaning just screw plastic caps ont he jars (you need plastic don't you for pickled onions?). You don't have to do any boiling and waiting for lids to pop down etc?
I have never done pickled onions - not having to heat etc sounds really easy
gaspodetwd, Jan 10, 6:42pm
We are learning bottling too. We have found out that you don't bottle veggies as it is quite risky - you can pickle them without worry. But they don't suggest bottling. So I wouldn't do asparagus. However I am a newbie.
We are into the alcohol preservation method too - as we have a glut of berries- we are doing a rumtopf and berry vodka for next Christmas!
korbo, Jan 10, 6:53pm
mmm, rumtopf, I tried this last summer, bought special jars to do it in, used coruba rum, and then they all fermented.
not sure what went wrong, if you have any ideas would love to hear, as would like to try again. (what a waste of rum,hubby said...)
lythande1, Jan 10, 7:52pm
Er. Soak your onions in brine first. Drain then do the vinegar. Stops them going soft.
And whether it's onions, asparagas, fruit whatever. STERILISE your jars.
The easiest way is to buy some Sterilising powder from your local brew shop - Sodium Metabisulphite, stick all the jars in the solution, leave for 20 mins, voila all done. Never a problem ever with mold or fermentation or anything.
And before you all freak out, other than beer and wine sterilising it's what is in baby bottle sterilising solution.
The other advantage is you can use any jars, plastic even.
juliewn, Jan 10, 8:00pm
Hi Raewyn.. I use the large Agee preserving jars, with plastic lids.. I've found lids at Opp shops over the years and keep them for pickled onions.. if you want to look for some, the lids are usually white, or sometimes brown. Bin Inn might sell them???

I've used them also on the tall old-fashioned double size Agee jars, or on the half-size Agee jars, so a range of jar sizes can be used, that fit those same lids... The jars are sometimes at Opp shops too.. have built up a good number over the years..

I don't leave the onions in any brine as I found they then went soft - in the same way veges for piccalilli soften when brined.. the onions stay crisp. I don't use hot vinegar either - the recipe has been made for over 50 years by member's of my family - and I continue it still.. and have some onions here to pickle now..

Have a great day everyone..
korbo, Feb 1, 11:10am
juliewn...how much pickling spice would you put per jar, 1 tesp, 2 teas..how many. thanks.