Diana B - your message came in while I was typing above. There really isn't much acid (lemon juice; orange; salt is for flavor, not acidification) and onions are on the wrong end of the ph scale. FWIW: the ink on my Master Food Preserver certificate is barely dry, but it is real.
Thanks drbabs for your candor. MommyJones -- best bet for preservation is freezing. You really need a "tested" recipe (like those in the Ball cookbook) that tells you just how long to process and in what manner (water bath or pressure canning) to be sure. Onions are not sufficiently acid by themselves to be anywhere near "safe" -- and the consequence for being wrong can be huge (botulism). For more information on canning safety (what to can; what to freeze; what to dehydrate and so on) I recommend http://nchfp.uga.edu/ (National Center for Home Food Preservation). Short answer -- if you can this, make sure you keep it in the fridge and use quickly. Freezing should be safe for lengthy preservation.
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