pickling vinegar

[butter fingers]

i have just bought some clear pickling vinegar, and have now found some balsamic vinegar, can i mix the two together when i pickle my shallots and onions?

[vicky]

I find the clear vinegar too strong and dilute it with water and add all sorts of herbs too, so I would imagine a bit of balsamic is fine. Mix some first to see if you like the taste though!

[Hilary B]

For true pickling, you need an adequate level of acid. Diluting it may well defeat the object of the exercise!
I don't much like sweet-pickled onions, so I wouldn't use balsamic for that. Might be good for more delicately flavoured ingredients.

[T8Ter]

I always use a spiced vinegar, tablespoon or so of sugar and four or five home grown chillies (just pierced so the seeds don't come out) - makes fantastic onions and the vinegar is great for chips!!!

[rustylady]

IMHO Balsamic vinegar is far too good to use for pickling. I either buy Sarsons white pickling vinegar or buy white vinegar and add my own spices.

[rana]

Pickles can go off in diluted vinegar. To take the edge off the sharpness just add sugar.

[bazzaboy]

I recall an earlier thread (2007! ) warning about the dangers of diluting vinegar, see
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ions_8679.html
b.

[Snadger]

Pickles can go off in diluted vinegar. To take the edge off the sharpness just add sugar.

Thats exactly what I did last year and I've just finished a jar of mixed pickled jalapeno's/carrots/shallots this week which were as good as the day I pickled them!

Sugar is a preservative as well as vinegar!

[Hilary B]

IMHO Balsamic vinegar is far too good to use for pickling. I either buy Sarsons white pickling vinegar or buy white vinegar and add my own spices.

Depeds what you want to pickle. If it is something delicate flavoured, balsamic might be apropriate (never tried it myself, but I can imagine the possibility). For the ordinary pickling, I stick to Sarson's (or an own brand equivalent)

[butter fingers]

i have just bought some clear pickling vinegar, and have now found some balsamic vinegar, can i mix the two together when i pickle my shallots and onions?

im using sarsons and ill bung in a chilli and pickling spice, but i like sweet onions / shallots so would 2 table spoons of sugar be to much ?. using about half litre jars.

[Hilary B]

im using sarsons and ill bung in a chilli and pickling spice, but i like sweet onions / shallots so would 2 table spoons of sugar be to much ?. using about half litre jars.

What I buy labelled 'pickling vinegar' has the spices in already!
I don't do sweet onions, so you'd have to ask someone who does, but I added sugar to the pickling vinegar for my attempt at pickling ash keys.
I put a rounded tablespoon to just under a pint. Not tasted the results yet though.....

[Guzzik]

My wife has mixed Basalmic Vinegar with Red Wine vinegar to use in her Red Onion Chutney.

She mades sweet pickles doing this: Put 350 mls of red Wine vinegar in a pot, add 9 ounze of suger plus spices to taste, boil for five mins. Leave to go cold then pickle as normal.

[Alison]

I always make my own using either red or white wine vinegar and various spices depending on what I'm doing. Made some pickled gherkins the other week and they are in white wine vinegar which was boiled up with some dried chillies, garlic, corriander and pepper seeds and probably a few other bits and pieces. OH has tasted already and said they're nice but I want to let them infuse a bit more first.

[GrannyJ]

Pickling Onions

It should be fine in theory to use a mixture of vinegars. I've mixed pickling vinegar and ordinary malted (both brown and clear) before with no problems. Basalmic might be a bit strongly flavoured but if you like it go for it. Seems a bit of a waste of basalmic vinegar though. Why not try sprinkling basalmic vinegar on vegetables (eg sliced courgettes, mushrooms, peppers etc) and roasting.

[Headfry]

Balsamic might make your pickles very dark in colour....just a thought!

I use home spiced and sweetened malt for my pickles.