Author Notes
This is actually a natural ferment - relying on the onions, water and salt and the lactic acid bacteria to come along and get the sour 'tastes like vinegar' flavour. I used a crab apple to hold the onions down under the brine and couldn't really taste any sweetness from it - but it looked good and the apple became brighter than ever and was it's own preservation project! In the photo example - I layered dill on the top and held it all down with another red onion cut to hold it down.
Enjoy on an open sandwich, chopped into salsa, in an omelette, a cheese platter, on liver paste and rye...
This recipe is from my book 'Ferment for Good, Ancient Foods for the Modern Gut' on p78. Hardie Grant. )
NOTE: You'll need a clean 1 liter jar. Use as many onions as you need to fill the jar to 3/4 full. —Sharon Flynn
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Ingredients
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1 liter
water (unchlorinated if possible)
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1 tablespoon
fine sea salt
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1
clove garlic
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2 sprigs
dried herbs like taragon, dill or thyme
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2 teaspoons
mustard seeds
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5-6
red onions - finely sliced
Directions
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Make a brine with the salt and water. If the salt is fine enough it will dissolve by stirring.
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Pop the garlic, mustard seeds, sprigs of herbs into the jar.
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Pour the brine over the onion, leaving some room- a couple of inches- between the brine and the lid.
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Weigh down with whatever you have at hand to keep the onions under the brine - lever down with something like a whole small apple, or fermenting weights, another onion cut in half to hold them down. (Or just keep an eye on it)
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Leave to ferment on your bench for 5 days - taste and if not sour enough then let sit longer. When it's to your liking, take out the weights and pop into the fridge.
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