How to make sweet and sour pickled onions at home for Lunar New Year

Pickled shallots are a delicious dish, often appearing on the Tet holiday meal tray. To make pickled shallots crispy and not too pungent, there is a secret. Let's learn how to make sweet and sour pickled shallots at home for the Lunar New Year.

Quick view:

• 1. Ingredients for sweet and sour pickled onions
• 2. How to make sweet and sour pickled onions
• 3. Notes when making sweet and sour pickled onions

1. Ingredients for sweet and sour pickled onions

Pickled onions: 1kg
Sugar: 400g
Vinegar: 500ml
Alum: 1 teaspoon
Salt: a little

2. How to make sweet and sour pickled onions

Step 1: Prepare the pickled onions

Preliminary processing of pickled onions. Photo: Bachhoaxanh

Prepare a small basin of water, add 100g salt and 1 teaspoon alum, then soak the pickled onions in water for about 12 hours (or overnight). Then, take out the pickled onions and wash them several times with water.

After washing, take out the pickled onions, cut off the roots, tops and silk skin, then put them in a basket to drain.

Step 2 : Marinate and dry the pickled onions

After preparation, put the pickled onions in a large bowl and add 300g of sugar and mix well.

Next, spread the pickled onions evenly on a tray and dry them in the shade for about 3-4 hours until they are firm.

Step 3 : Mix the pickled shallot water

Place a pot on the stove, add 500ml vinegar, 100g sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and boil. When the sugar is dissolved, turn off the stove and let cool.

Step 4 : Pickle the pickled onions

Arrange the pickled onions in a jar. When the pickled onion water has cooled, pour it into the jar and cover it. Let the pickled onions sit at room temperature for about 2-3 days before eating.

3. Notes when making sweet and sour pickled onions

To make delicious, crispy sweet and sour pickled onions, you need to know how to choose quality pickled onions.

Pickled onions are an indispensable dish during Tet. Photo: Lao Dong

Pickled shallots usually come in two types: cinnamon shallots and buffalo shallots. Cinnamon shallots have a wide body, a distinct waist, and a thin tail. Buffalo shallots have a longer body, a large tail, and no waist.

According to folk experience, you should buy cinnamon pickled onions to have a jar of quality pickled onions, crispier and more fragrant than buffalo pickled onions.

To have a delicious jar of pickled onions, you should choose small-sized pickled onions, avoid choosing onions that are too big to avoid a too pungent, spicy taste, reducing the deliciousness.

Pickled shallots must be bright white and not crushed. Choose shallots with a narrow waist, they will look more beautiful when pickled.

Soaking pickled onions in salt water helps remove dirt, reduce the pungent smell and makes the pickled onions more crispy and delicious.

You can replace alum salt water with rice water, salt ash water or lime water.

When cutting off the roots of the pickled onions, do not cut too deep into the flesh of the onions. This will cause the onions to become soggy and not crispy when pickled.

When drying pickled onions, do not dry them in strong sunlight, as this will easily cause the onions to dry out and the salt will not be delicious.

To limit dust, you should use mosquito net or thin cloth to cover the pickled onions when drying.

For pickling pickled shallots, use a clean glass jar that has been washed with hot water and dried.

The water must cover the pickled onions completely. When soaking the onions, you can put the cooled boiled water in a clean plastic bag, tie it tightly, then use it to compress the onions.

Cover the jar tightly and leave the pickled shallots in a cool place, avoid sunlight because the pickled shallots will easily ferment and spoil soon.

When finished, the pickled shallots will be white and retain their crunchiness.

Sweet and sour pickles will be the perfect side dish for banh chung, banh tet, and braised meat during Tet holiday, helping to balance the meal with a bit of sweet and sour taste.

Hopefully through this article, you can successfully make sweet and sour pickled onions for this year's Tet holiday.

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