TRUE PEARL ONIONS HAVE SOMETHING in common with garlic—they’ve only one storage leaf, making them easy to peel. Commonly found in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, they’re less common in the supermarkets of other countries. Prized for pickling, pearl onions are enjoying more attention in today’s atmosphere of DIY, and it’s becoming easier to find them in organic and farmers’ markets. Pearl onions are generally sweeter and more tender than other varieties of white onion, making them perfect to plop in a cocktail. If you can’t lay your hands on true pearl onions, there’s no reason why you can’t substitute tiny, new onions of any stripe for this pickle.
MAKES
TWO 1-PINT / 475-MILLILITER JARS ONIONS
About 4 cups / 500 grams trimmed pearl onions
3 cups / 720 milliliters white vinegar
¾ cups / 150 grams granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
6 whole cloves
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes and set it aside. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place a few onions at a time in a fine-mesh strainer. Plunge the strainer into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then dip it into the ice water to blanch the onions. Let them cool in the water.
With a very sharp paring knife, remove the tip and tail of the onions and peel off the outside layer. Repeat the process until all the onions are peeled, then set them aside.
In a large, covered stockpot over high heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1 cup / 240 milliliters of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the onions and bring the mixture back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until they are just tender when pricked with the tip of a sharp knife. Add the celery seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, and lemon wedges to the pot, stir, bring back to a boil, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to hot, sterilized jars (see page 17), and cover with the pickling liquid, dividing the lemon wedges between the jars, leaving a ½-inch / 1.3-centimeter headspace. Seal using the hot water bath (see page 43) for 5 minutes. This should keep for up to 6 months in a cool, dark place, if properly sealed.