Pickled onions are not only made during festive occasions but have become a popular dish in Vietnamese meals. The guide below will help you make this dish perfectly.
Simple Guide to Making Non-Pungent Pickled Onions
Pickled onions are a simple dish from the preparation process to fermentation and tasting. Because of this, the dish has become a traditional food, closely associated with Northern Vietnamese cuisine, and is an indispensable item on the Tet feast offered to ancestors.
How to Choose Good Onions
- Choose medium-sized onions that are firm and sturdy. The size of each onion should be uniform.
- Select the medium variety onions. This type is neither too old nor too young, making it very suitable for pickling.
- Pick onions with dry skins, round and plump interiors, evenly colored, and bright.
- Avoid choosing onions that are flattened, soft, leaking, or moldy. These onions are spoiled and cannot be pickled.
Distinguishing between Local and Chinese Onions:
- Chinese onions are large, round, and have only one clove. Local onions are medium, slender, and each bulb contains about 2-3 cloves.
- Chinese onions have thin, shiny skin and white flesh. Vietnamese purple onions have purple or light purple interiors.
- Chinese purple onions do not sting the eyes when chopped and have no pungent smell. Vietnamese onions will sting the eyes when chopped and have a strong, fragrant aroma.
Ingredients for Pickled Onions
- 1kg white onions
- 400ml vinegar
- 300ml filtered water
- 150g sugar
- 80g salt
- Rice washing water
How to Make Pure White Pickled Onions Without Scum
- Step 1: Peel the onions and soak them in rice washing water for a few hours to reduce their pungency, preferably overnight.
- Step 2: Dissolve 20g of salt in 1.5 liters of water. Cut off the roots of the onions, peel them, rinse in salted water, and let them drain in a colander.
- Step 3: Prepare the vinegar solution: boil 400ml of vinegar, 300ml of water, 150g of sugar, and 80g of salt in a pot. Once the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and allow it to cool. Place the onions in a jar, using a skewer or bamboo stick to press down on the surface before pouring in the brine to prevent the onions from floating.
- Step 4: Store the jar in a cool, dry place, and it will be ready to use in about 3-4 days.
The sour, spicy, and sweet flavor of the onions helps reduce greasiness and stimulates the palate, making them more enjoyable when eaten with fatty dishes such as pork fat or sticky rice cake. Additionally, consuming pickled onions during Tet has many health benefits like aiding digestion, balancing the body, reducing cholesterol, and boosting immunity.
Tips for Successful Pickling
- To make delicious pickles, pay attention to the right amount of salt and sugar. If you don’t add enough salt, the onions won’t ferment properly. If you add too much salt or sugar, the pickles will be too salty or sweet, making them hard to eat.
- Using warm water for pickling will speed up the souring process. You can also place the jar in the sun to accelerate fermentation.
- To prevent white foam from forming during fermentation, sterilize and dry the glass jar thoroughly before pickling.
- Use a plastic lid or bamboo stick to keep the onions submerged in the brine for even fermentation.
- When serving, use clean utensils to remove the pickles, avoiding stirring, as this can create white foam and spoil the pickles quickly.
- If you have leftovers, store the jar in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process.
How to Store Pickled Onions
- Store pickled onions in a dry, clean place to prevent bacterial contamination. Additionally, you can expose the jar to sunlight to make the onions crispier and extend their shelf life.
- When not consuming all the pickles, keep them separately and store them in the refrigerator. Do not pour leftover pickles back into the jar, as this will cause spoilage.
- Use clean chopsticks to take pickled onions out of the jar, rinsing them briefly with boiled, cooled water or diluted saltwater. Then, peel the outer layer of the onions and enjoy the white part.
Wishing you success with this delicious, crispy, non-scummy pickled onion recipe!
