Shallots are ripe for pickling

Fancy jazzing up your cheese board and learning a new skill along the way?  Then how about trying your hand at pickling shallots!

Shallots lend a delicate, almost sweet flavour to dishes and when pickled add a little extra something to your meal. So if you’re twiddling your thumbs at home during lockdown then pickling shallots could be something tasty to try.

Round UK grown shallots are plentiful right now and you should have no trouble finding them in your local supermarket. Although shallots can be stored all year round so if you don’t find any today, or you’re just not ready to pickle yet, then you can get those jars ready to go at almost any time of the year.

How to pickle shallots

You’ll need:

500g round shallots

50g sea salt

65ml sherry vinegar

275ml white wine vinegar

2 tsp Demerara sugar

1 litre Kilner jar (or similar)

What to do:

Peel and trim the shallots and place in a large plastic or glass bowl. Dissolve the salt in 500ml of hot water, pour over the shallots and soak for two days in the fridge. It is a good idea to place a plate on the top of the shallots, so they are submerged in the salted water.

Sterilise the jar by washing in warm soapy water, rinsing and placing in an oven heated to 100°C for 5 minutes until dry.

Combine the vinegars in a pan and bring to just below boiling point while gently stirring. Add the sugar and turn off the heat only when all the sugar has dissolved. Leave to go completely cold.

Drain the shallots from the salted water and pat dry with kitchen towel.

Pack the shallots in the sterilised jar. Pour the vinegar over the shallots. Seal and store in a cool dark place for one month to mature.

Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within one month.

Recipe courtesy of UK Shallots

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Melina - Assistant Editor

Hi I'm Melina, a mother of 3 teenage children and with a particular interest in all things health related. I run a busy household and smallholding alongside my work with Silversurfers, which currently includes dogs, fish, hens, ducks and pigs!

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