Time to pickle some spicy little balls of flavor!
The Egyptian walking onions are going nuts on the farm. With the wet weather, they have nearly doubled in size, and creating dozens of little onion tops.
For many of us, the walking onions are nothing more than a novelty plant. They are even called invasive. Truth is, the Egyptian walking onion is simply a busy little plant, that loves to stretch out as far as the gardener will allow. By using them, you naturally control that spreading habit.
We keep them in check on our place, by using the green parts from early spring until early summer. They are more pungent than chives, hotter than regular onions, yet tender and delicious when cooked.
Pickled Onions That Bite You Back
My favorite way to use this peculiar onion plant, is to break off the bulblets from the tops of the stalk and pickle them. If you love pickled garlic, you will simply love pickled onions. Be aware, these are not your wishy washy cocktail onion. Pickled Egyptian walking onions bite you back.
To pickle them, break off all the tops you have, once they get their purplish covering. Traditionalists will say to use the bulbs under the ground, but I learned to use the tops and they are delish!
- Collect about 2 pounds of the Egyptian onion tops.
- In a stainless steel pot, combine equal parts white vinegar and water (for 2 pounds of onions, you need about 5 cups total)
- Add 1/4 cup pickling salt and bring to a boil for 1 minute, or until salt dissolves. Reduce heat, cover and keep hot until ready to fill jars.
- In 4 pint jars, add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 dried chili pepper to each jar, fill with peeled onions and pour hot mixture over all, until covered.
- Seal and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let the onions cure about 2 weeks for best flavor.
More Pickling And Preserving  (From Earth Eats)
The Earth Eats Podcast this week is all about pickling, including more tips from Amy Jeanroy, subscribe in iTunes, or follow our updates on facebook or twitter to be sure not to miss it!
