Can Jam Challenge Round Three ~ Jerked Onion

Onions.  Often overlooked but an important component of many recipes, there are so many possibilities with the onion.  Because there are so many possibilities with onions, I didn’t know where to start.  I found all kinds of pickled onion recipes, but they were all pretty straight-forward.  You know, onions, vinegar, salt.  The usual pickle ingredients.  If I had little boiler onions, I might have tried a simple recipe.  But I had these: 

Yellow onions from the market.

I’ve had them in storage since the start of the winter, but they’re local so I was excited to can them.  I couldn’t just straight-up vinegar these onions though so I decided to adjust the seasonings in a basic canned onion recipe and came up with this: 

Jerked Pickled Onions 

3 cups local onions from the Farmers’ Market, cut. (I quartered mine, but Julienned would be nice.)
One giant clove or several small cloves of garlic from Providence Farms, sliced.
1/4 c. salt
12 allspice berries
15 peppercorns
2 dried chilis from last year’s summer market
2 knobs of ginger
6 sprigs of thyme
2 c. distilled white vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. molasses 

1. Sprinkle the onions with salt.  Let them rest while you prepare the brine.
2. Add spices, sugar and vinegar (but not molasses) to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
   

   Sugar and spice and everything nice.

3. Boil the mixture for ten minutes.
4. Stir a teaspoon of molasses into the boiling brine.
5. Shake the salt off the onions, but don’t rinse them.
6. Pack onions into hot jars.
7. Fill jars with brine leaving head space.
8. I added the spices to the jars because I like the way they look and because I’m hoping the flavors will intensify as they age but you could strain them out or boil them in a cheesecloth.
9. Process in a boiling-water bath for five minutes.
10. 

    Jerked Pickled Onions

I made this batch mild because I want to make sure they’re edible before I tweak the recipe.  For a hotter, more authentic Jamaican Jerk flavor, I would use scotch bonnet or habañero peppers.  

Oh, and Lelo, I’m finally ready for those labels ‘cuz these onions are worthy.

 

Previous Can Jam Entries:

January: Citrus (Blood Orange Marmalade)      February: Pickled Carrot Spears