Pickled Onions No. 1
| Onions (very small), | 1 quart |
| Salt, | ½ cup |
| Water (cold), | 2 quarts |
| Vinegar, | 1 cup |
| Mixed spices (whole), | ¼ small package |
This recipe was one that had been given to Adelaide's mother by a dear old friend. The onions were just the common variety but very small, not much larger than a good sized cherry.
Adelaide poured boiling water on the onions, as it made them easier to peel, then she let the cold water run into the pan all the time she was peeling them. This was to prevent her wasting precious tears. The little sharp knife was the best one to use.
A quart of onions does not sound very big, but before Adelaide finished peeling them she thought she would never come to the end, there seemed so many.
Into a large saucepan she measured two quarts of cold water and one-half a cup of salt, then added the onions.
These stood for twenty-four hours, covered, after which she poured off the brine (mother explained to Adelaide that that was what they called the salt and water) and rinsed them by pouring clear cold water on them.
After draining the onions well in the colander, she filled two sterilized pint jars with the onions.
The cup of vinegar and fourth of a package of whole mixed spices (the package was the size that sold for ten cents before the war) were put in a saucepan and simmered slowly on the fire for one hour, after which Adelaide divided the vinegar and spices equally between the two jars and filled them to overflowing with cold vinegar.
She inserted a silver knife between the onions and the jars to let the air bubbles rise and break, fitted on a new rubber smoothly, sealed quickly and stood the jars upside down over night.
In the morning she wiped the jars thoroughly with a damp cloth, inspected them carefully to be sure that they did not leak, pasted on the labels and stored the jars away in the preserve closet.
Mother said these would need to stand a month before they would be ready to be eaten.