English Pickled Onions – Culinary Ginger

English Pickled Onions are a national treasure in the UK, loved for their crisp texture and bold, tangy, slightly sweet flavor. Small onions (pearl onions) are pickled in malt vinegar with pickling spices like coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and bay leaf.

Ingredients

• Pearl onions, pickling onions or shallots
• Salt
• Malt vinegar
• Granulated sugar
• Coriander seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Black peppercorns
• Ground ginger
• Bay leaves

This is one of my oldest (and most popular) British recipes, originally posted back in 2015. I recently updated some of the text and added more preparation details along with a step-by-step video in the recipe.

Ask anyone in Great Britain about their favorite British food snack, and they’ll probably say pickled onions! And one of my favorites growing up. So popular, in fact, that we even have pickled-onion-flavored crisps/potato chips. You’ll also find them enjoyed in Australia and New Zealand.

How do you serve English pickled onions?

Straight out of the jar, in British pubs with a Ploughman’s Lunch (a British charcuterie board of cheeses, cold meats, bread, pickled onions, pickle relish, and assorted raw vegetables pictured below), in sandwiches, with a cheese plate, or as a garnish for pork pies and fish and chips.

Using malt vinegar for pickling

Malt vinegar has a unique, rich flavor that’s tangy, not too sweet, and earthy, made from malted barley. It’s less sharp than white vinegar and has deeper, almost caramel-like undertones that add incredible flavor to the peeled onions. 

Making malt vinegar

The process involves fermenting the sugars in malted grains, which are first converted to alcohol and then to acetic acid through a second fermentation. 

You may know malt vinegar as a popular condiment used on fish and chips. It is available in most U.S grocery stores and specialty British stores.

Salting onions before pickling

Whether you plan to keep the pickled onions long-term using a canning process or not, it’s important to let the onions sit overnight coated in salt only (not in salt water). This process draws out excess moisture from the onions and creates an environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and mold, which need moisture to thrive. Additionally, it helps the onions retain their crispness and absorb the pickling solution more effectively. Salting is an essential step in preventing bacteria from forming.

Canning and preserving whole pickled onions

This method doesn’t make shelf-stable pickled onions. To safely preserve them, you’ll need to process the jars in a proper water bath after sealing. This recipe is for quick, refrigerated pickled onions that will be ready in about four weeks.

The jars shown in my photos are just for presentation — they’re not meant for canning or long-term storage. To sterilize the jars, place a round wire rack at the bottom of a large pan (or canning pot). This elevates the jars away from the heat, which helps prevent them from breaking. Fill the pan with water so that it covers the jars by 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm). Bring the water to a boil, carefully add the jars with tongs, cover with a lid, and boil for 10 minutes. Boil the lids in a separate pan for at least 5 minutes. Remove the jars carefully using tongs. Place upside down on a clean towel to dry.

The recipe fills 2-12 ounce (340 gram) jar OR 1-24 ounce (680 gram) jar.

How to make British pickled onions

1. Peel the onions. Put them in a large bowl that is heat-proof and pour over hot water, leave until cooled. They should peel easily by rubbing the skins in the water.
2. Rinse the onions well and dry. Add the onions to clean, sterilized jars.
3. To a saucepan add the vinegar, sugar, coriander, mustard seeds, peppercorns, ground ginger and bay leaf.
4. Heat over medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved. You can tell it is dissolved if you don’t not feel the crystals as you stir. Heat only for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. DO NOT BOIL or breathe in the hot vinegar fumes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. If you add very hot liquid, this will cook the onions and they wont be crisp.
5. Pour the vinegar over the onions (until they are completely submerged) put on the lids and seal hand tight.
6. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks before eating. Then keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.

If you’ve made my English Pickled Onions, please leave a star rating in the recipe. You can also leave a comment or ask a question below.