Spiced Malt Vinegar Recipes

SALT & VINEGAR SEASONING

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into a small bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix into a paste. Scrape the paste onto a baking tray and leave it uncovered at room temperature for 24 hrs until hardened. Use a fork to break up the hardened mix into a coarse powder. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two months.

FILIPINO-STYLE SPICED VINEGAR

Steps:

• Put the garlic, dried fruit, chiles, ginger, and peppercorns in a clean glass jar or bottle and cover with the vinegar and fish sauce. Loosely cover or cap the jar and let sit at room temperature in a dark place for 48 hours.
• Transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The pinakurat will keep indefinitely, and the flavors will continue to develop over time.

PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients for the onions.
• Sprinkle the salt over the dry, peeled onions.
• Stir to make sure the salt is distributed. Cover, refrigerated overnight (do not leave longer than overnight if you want your onions to be crisp).
• When ready, rinse the onions and dry with kitchen or paper towels.
• Gather the ingredients for the pickling liquid.
• Place the malt vinegar, sugar, and all the pickling spice ingredients in a large stainless steel pot.
• Heat on medium to dissolve the sugar, but do not boil.
• Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars (about two wide-mouth, quart-size canning jars, or smaller jars, if desired).
• Pour the vinegar-spice liquid over the onions to fill the jars, making sure each jar has pickling spices and that there are no air pockets.
• Seal the jars and let cool. Store refrigerated. The onions will be ready to eat after about one month.
• Peeling pickling onions is fiddly and time-consuming. To speed up the process, cut off the top and tail of the onions.
• Then place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over to cover.
• Drain the water after 10 minutes, and presto, the skins will just rub right off.
• Do not leave in the water too long or the onions will start to go mushy when you preserve them. Dry the onions with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Proceed with pickling.

SPICED MALT VINEGAR

Steps:

• Place the malt vinegar and all the spices in a pan. Warm over low heat.
• Pour into a warm, sterilised, 2-cup wide-necked jar. Seal with a non-metallic lid.
• Allow it to stand in a warm place for 2 weeks.
• Put some peppercorns into a sterilized 2-cup bottle. Strain and pour the vinegar into the bottle.
• Seal and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

SPICED PICKLED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• The day before pickling, put the shallots in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to cool, then drain and peel away the skins and trim the root ends.
• In a large bowl, mix the coarse crystal sea salt with 300ml boiling water and let it dissolve to make a brining solution. Add 1.2 litres cold water, then the shallots. Cover and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain, rinse then drain again. Pack the shallots into sterilised jars (see tip below).
• To make the pickling vinegar, put the whole spices in a medium saucepan. Toast over a low heat until they begin to smell aromatic. Add the dried chilli flakes last, as these can easily catch.
• Add the bay, pour in all of the vinegar and sugar, let it dissolve, and bring to a simmer.
• Pour the hot vinegar over the shallots and seal while hot. Ready to eat in 1 month, or longer, if you like.

PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to cool. Once cool, trim roots and tops and peel. Sprinkle the salt over the peeled onions, stir and leave overnight.
• Next day rinse the onions well and dry with kitchen towel. Place the vinegar and honey into a large pan and gently heat just to dissolve the honey into the vinegar, but do not boil.
• Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars. Pour over the hot vinegar mixture to fill the jars, and check there are no air pockets. Seal the jars and leave to cool. The onions will be ready to eat after about 1 month or better if kept for 2. Once opened store in the fridge.