Pearl Onion Pickles

Photo: flickr user sputnikrent

Ingredients

4 quarts tiny onions

Boiling water as needed

1 cup salt

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

4 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 quarts white vinegar, 5%% acidity

7 smalls bay leaves

7 smalls hot red peppers

Preparation

Select fresh, tender onions. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 2 minutes. Drain; dip at once into cold water and peel. Sprinkle onions with salt and add cold water to cover (about 2 quarts water to 1 cup salt). Let stand at least 12 hours or overnight. Drain off salt water; rinse and drain thoroughly.

Combine sugar, horseradish, mustard seeds, and vinegar. Simmer 15 minutes.

Pack onions into sterile jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. To each jar, add 1 bay leaf and 1 pepper. Pour boiling hot vinegar mixture over onions. Adjust lids. Process pints 10 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars; cool and store.

This recipe yields 7 pints.