Tasty Friday: Pickled Shallots

We get a vegetable box delivered every week and, sometimes, we manage to eat it all. Recently we were sent loads of little shallots and decided to pickle them.

Shallots - prepare to be pickled!

You Will Need:
A big jar
Enough onions to fill your jar
Table salt
Vinegar
Spices of your choice!

Step 1: Top and tail your onions and cover with boiling water, leave for a couple of minutes before plunging the onions into cold water. The skins should just slip off.

Step 2: Put the onions in a bowl and cover with loads of salt, enough to coat each onion. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave somewhere cool overnight.

Step 3: Wash your jar thoroughly and sterilise it (you can use sterilising fluid, boiling water, a very hot oven - whatever method works best for you!) before packing the rinsed and dried onions in tightly.

Step 4: Pour your vinegar into a pan - you can use malt, white, cider or wine vinegar but I prefer malt - and add some spices. This really depends on taste but I used whole peppercorns, some dried chilli flakes, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Bring to the boil and pour over your onions ensuring they are all covered. You can use a sterilised to stone to keep the onions immersed if you need to.

Step 5: Put a lid on the jar (unless you have special jars for preserving things in vinegar you will need a piece of greaseproof paper inside the lid to protect the seal) and leave in a cool, dark place for a month.

Step 6: Enjoy your onions in true British style as part of a ploughman's lunch!