Why it works: Onion and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,226 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Onion Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the onions
Peel 4 quarts small white onions.
Lay them in a brine of cups salt to 2 quarts boiling water, and let stand for 2 days. Drain and repeat.
Boil the onions
Drain again, put this 3rd brine on to boil, and boil the onions in it for 5 minutes.
Pack and seal
Drain and put in bottles, interspersing with bits of mace, white peppercorns and slices of red peppers.
Fill to overflowing with vinegar scalded with sugar, allowing 1 cup sugar to 2 quarts vinegar.
Cork and seal while hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Small white onions
- The main vegetable, softened by brining and boiling so it takes up the pickling liquor.
- Vinegar
- Provides the sharp acidity that preserves the onions and gives the pickle its tang.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Salt (in the method)
- Draws water out of the onions during brining, firming their texture.
The step that matters
Cork and seal while hot. Filling the bottles to overflowing with hot vinegar drives out air, and as the contents cool they contract and pull the seal down, which helps keep the pickles preserved.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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