Pickling onions are a staple ingredient in many cuisines around the world. Their pungent, tangy flavor makes them an essential component for pickles, relishes, salsas, and other preserved foods. While pickling onions are available year-round in most grocery stores, they are considered a seasonal vegetable. There are specific times of year when pickling onions are at their freshest and juiciest best. Knowing the peak seasons for pickling onions can help you select the tastiest bulbs for all your homemade pickles and relishes.
What are pickling onions?
Pickling onions, also known as cocktail onions or pearl onions, are a variety of onion cultivated specifically for pickling and preserving. They are smaller and milder than regular onions. While a typical yellow or white onion may be 2-3 inches in diameter, pickling onions are generally less than 1 inch in diameter. This small size allows them to easily slide into jars and bottles along with pickled vegetables and brines.
The most common varieties used for pickling include white pearl onions, red pearl onions, and shallots. Pickling onions have thin, delicate skin and a firm, crunchy white flesh. When raw, they have a mildly pungent flavor and aroma. Once pickled, they take on a tangy, sour taste and crisp texture. Their concentrated flavor acts as a delicious complement and counterpoint to the vinegar brines and other ingredients they are pickled with.
When are pickling onions in season?
Pickling onions are grown as an annual crop. Like most other vegetables, they have peak seasons when they are at their best quality. Knowing the prime times to buy pickling onions can ensure you get the youngest, juiciest bulbs.
Spring: In spring, look for fresh pickling onions that were overwintered from the previous year’s crop. These have usually been cured for several months to intensify their flavor. They will be firm, crunchy, and pungent.
Summer: Early to mid-summer is when the majority of pickling onions are harvested. Keep an eye out at farmers markets and produce stands for fresh bunches with bright, thin skins. Look for onions that feel hard and heavy for their size when gently squeezed. Summer-harvested pickling onions have high moisture content, which is ideal for the crispiest pickles.
Fall: As the weather cools down in early autumn, another crop of pickling onions becomes available. These were planted in late summer to be harvested before winter. Fall onions are excellent choices for seasonal pickling sessions. Their juicy flesh retains that crunch when marinated in brine.
Here is a quick summary of when pickling onions are in season:
Pickling Onion Seasonality
| Season | Months |
|---|---|
| Spring | March, April, May |
| Summer | June, July, August |
| Fall | September, October, November |
As you can see, pickling onions can be found at market for most of the year. But their peak availability and quality is during the warmer summer months. That is when most pickling onions are harvested fresh.
Where to buy pickling onions in season
Here are some of the best places to buy pickling onions when they are freshly harvested and in season:
Farmers Markets: Visit local farmers markets during summer and early fall to find onions straight from regional farms. Ask the growers what day their pickling onions were picked for maximum freshness. The selection at markets will be best in summer and early fall.
Specialty Produce Shops: Many high-end grocers and produce stores carry fresh pickling onions seasonally. They may source from local farms or have them shipped in from major onion growing regions when in season.
Farm Stands: Stop by roadside farm stands in rural areas to uncover bushels of pickling onions. These are often grown on small farms and harvested by hand. Farm stands have peak availability in late summer and autumn.
CSAs: Look for pickling onions bundled as “onion storage” shares from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. These farms will often overwinter onions to provide fresh bulbs in early spring before the new crop comes in.
Online: Several produce delivery services ship fresh pickling onions nationwide during peak season. This is a convenient option if growers in your region don’t specialize in pickling onions.
The key when buying pickling onions is making sure they are from the current season’s crop, not storage onions from the year before. Look for plump, firm bulbs with thin, shiny skins. Avoid onions with any sprouts, cracks, or moisture on the outer peel.
How to store pickling onions
Pickling onions sold in pre-packaged jars or plastic bags have often been treated to extend their shelf life. But fresh, bulk onions from market displays will be more perishable. Follow these storage tips to help freshly-harvested pickling onions last as long as possible:
– Keep them dry. Leave the skin on and don’t wash pickling onions until you are ready to use them. Moisture causes them to deteriorate faster.
– Put them in breathable packaging or containers. Onions stay fresher in mesh or paper bags rather than sealed plastic.
– Find a cool, dark place to store them. Basements, cellars and pantries are ideal as long as they are not too humid.
– Don’t store near fruits. Fruits give off ethylene gas that can accelerate spoilage of nearby vegetables.
– Use within 2 months. Raw onions will eventually start to lose their moisture and sprout.
– Watch for mold. Discard any onions that show signs of black mold or dark, damp patches.
With proper storage, fresh summer and fall pickling onions should last approximately 8 weeks. Once cut, their shelf life drops to just 7-10 days.
For maximum long-term use, pickled, frozen, or dehydrated onions will keep much longer. You can pickle batches of onions in vinegar when in season and enjoy their zing all year long.
Pickled onion recipe
Now that you know when and where to get fresh pickling onions at their seasonal best, try this easy pickled onion recipe to enjoy their crunchy, tangy goodness all year long:
Ingredients:
| 2 pounds pickling onions |
| 2 cups white wine vinegar |
| 1 cup water |
| 2 tablespoons salt |
| 1 teaspoon sugar |
| 1 bay leaf |
| 1 teaspoon peppercorns |
| 1 teaspoon coriander seeds |
Instructions:
- Peel onions. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add onions, and blanch for 2 minutes.
- In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Bring to a boil.
- Pack peeled onions into sterilized jars and cover with hot brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims, apply lids and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
- Cool jars completely before storing. Pickled onions will keep 12 months unopened.
Use these tangy pickled onions anywhere you want a burst of acidity and crunch. They are delicious in salads, sandwiches, tacos, or served as an appetizer with drinks. The options are endless with this simple and versatile condiment.
Conclusion
Now that you know when pickling onions are at their seasonal best, you can keep your pantry stocked with their zesty flavor year-round. Look for freshly harvested bulbs at farmers markets, farm stands and specialty stores during summer and fall. Store them properly to ensure they stay fresh as long as possible. And consider pickling a batch to enjoy their crisp bite for months ahead. With so many ways to use them, delicious pickling onions are a must-have ingredient for any kitchen.