Pickled onion
{{short description|Onions pickled in a solution of vinegar or salt}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Pickled onion
| image = Rew13d10-805 Pickled Onions.JPG
| caption = A jar of homemade pickled onions in spiced malt vinegar
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| country = Various
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| main_ingredient = Onion
| minor_ingredient = Vinegar, salt, spices
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| serving_size = 100 g
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Pickled onions are a food item consisting of onions (cultivars of Allium cepa{{cite book|editor=L. Maggioni|title=European Collections of Vegetatively Propagated Allium: Report of a Workshop; 21 - 22 May 2001, Gatersleben, Germany|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-_cMQM2b5_QC&pg=PA48|year=2002|publisher=Bioversity International|isbn=978-92-9043-528-0|page=48}}) pickled in a solution of vinegar and salt, often with other preservatives and flavourings.[http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/popular-cuisines/british/pickled-onions-recipe-08-03-04 Channel 4 Recipes - Pickled Onions]. Retrieved 26 May 2014 There is a variety of small white pickled onions known as 'silverskin' onions;{{cite web|title=Waitrose pickled silverskin onions drained 150g|url=http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-17267-Waitrose+pickled+silverskin+onions|publisher=waitrose.com|access-date=5 July 2017}}{{cite book|last=Brewster|first=James L. |title=Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums|url=https://archive.org/details/Onions_and_Other_Vegetable_Alliums_Crop_Production_Science_in_Horticulture_by_Ja|year=2008|publisher=CABI|isbn=978-1-84593-399-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Onions_and_Other_Vegetable_Alliums_Crop_Production_Science_in_Horticulture_by_Ja/page/n449 428]–}} due to imperfections they are pickled instead of being wasted.{{cite book|editor1=M.D. Ranken|editor2=Ronald C Kill|editor3=Christopher G J Baker|title=Food Industries Manual|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iG3wx9Wh5N4C&pg=PA333|date= 1997|publisher=Springer Science|isbn=978-0-7514-0404-3|pages=333–}} They are frequently used as the distinguishing feature of a variation on the Martini cocktail, known as a Gibson.{{cite news|last1=Arthurs|first1=Deborah|title=Garden to glass cocktail recipe: Pickled spring onion martini is a neat spring twist on a Gibson|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/26/garden-to-glass-pickled-spring-onion-martini-is-a-neat-spring-twist-on-a-gibson-5895147/|access-date=6 July 2017|work=The Metro|date=26 May 2016}}
Pickled onions are pickled in vinegar and can vary in size. Silverskin onions are pickled in white vinegar, and are considered to be small. Full sized onions, e.g., Spanish onions, can be pickled if sliced first.Home Pickling, published by Sarsons.How to Get Into a Pickle, published by Sarsons.
By country
In India, pickled onions or shallots called SirkawalaPyaz is served with meals and tandoori foods. It's common in Indian restaurants and North Indian homes.Resturaunts in India serve pickled onions, bright pink in colour in small bowls in the center of the table.
In Hong Kong, pickled onions are served in many Cantonese restaurants, especially around dinner time, as a small dish before the main course is served.
In Mexican cuisine, one preparation, cebollas encurtidas, has sliced red onions pickled in a mixture of citrus juices and vinegar, which is served as a garnish or condiment. Sometimes cooked beets are added, producing a more strongly pink coloured dish.Latina Lite Cooking: 200 Delicious Lowfat Recipes from All Over the Americas - With Special Selections on Nutrition and Weight Loss'', Maria Dolores Beatriz. Hachette Book Group, 2009, page 102 Pickled red onions in bitter orange juice are especially emblematic of Yucatán cuisine, where they are used as a garnish or condiment, especially for seafood.{{Cite web| last=Jinich |first=Pati| title = Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca| work = Pati Jinich|date=25 December 2009 | access-date = 2018-06-25| url = https://patijinich.com/recipe/pickled_red_onion/}}
In Switzerland, they are served to accompany raclette, along with pickled gherkins.{{Cite web |title=Raclette |url=https://www.restaurantlemuseum.ch/en/raclette/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=Museum Restaurant |date=13 November 2019 |language=en-US}}
In the United Kingdom, the onions are traditionally eaten alongside fish and chips and with a ploughman's lunch. They are sometimes referred to simply as pickles.
In the United States, pickled onions are frequently served as a side dish and are also used as an ingredient in various regional recipes.
File:Pickled onions (4581779304).jpg|Sliced pickled onions atop a sandwich
File:Silberzwiebeln (9373-75).jpg|A dish of pickled silverskin onions
File:Osseworst en Amsterdamse uitjes.JPG|Dutch Amsterdamse uitjes (at left): small onions pickled with spices; the yellow colour is from either turmeric or saffron. Here served with ossenworst (smoked minced beef).
See also
{{portal|Food}}
References
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{{Allium}}
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