William Woys Weaver

Pickled Pearl Onions

G’pickelte Paerl-Zwiwwele

Preparation info

  • 6 pints

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking
Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking

By William Woys Weaver

Published 1993

  • About

This recipe traces directly to Die Geschickte Hausfrau (1848), although the original text does not mention that fresh herbs were generally added. The favored herb was tarragon, although some cooks preferred lovage or a combination of tarragon and lovage.

Ingredients

  • 10 cups (1.5 kg) pearl onions, trimmed and papery outer skins removed
  • 18 bushy sprigs

Method

Put the onions in a large strainer and blanch 4 minutes in boiling salted water. Remove and drain immediately. Pack into hot sterilized 1-pint (500-ml) jars. As the onions are packed into the jars, add the sprigs of tarragon, 3 to each jar: 1 sprig on the bottom, 1 when the jar is half full, and 1 on top. Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and turmeric to a hard boil in a nonreactive kettle or pan