Hi Sally - like you I prefer the onions over the cucumber slices in B&B pickles. But there is no need to use a recipe from any other source. The NCHFP recipe for B&B Pickles can be made with straight onions since it is a straight (undiluted) vinegar recipe and is almost identical to the one you posted - except I can't read the measurements on the spices on yours. Linked it below.

Note the pickling lime is strictly optional and should be left out when using just onions.

In truth, making it with just onions is a bit safer as they don't contain all the water that cukes have to dilute the vinegar over time.

Dave

PS: I suggest cider vinegar rather than white but it is your choice and for a very different flavor 5% red wine vinegar works great too.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - B&B Pickles

Thanks so much Dave, I was hoping you could give me an answer. I'll use the NCHFP recipe, I'm sure it'll be great.

Thanks again for all of your help! Sally

Hi Dave, just wanted to let you know, when the computer messes up the measurements in a recipe with those symbols, you can fix it by going to the top of your screen to "View" and the go to "Encoding" and then click on "unicode" and it will fix the screwy symbols that sometimes appear!!! :) have a great day!

How does the amount of brine to onions work out since you are using the same amount of brine but the volume is reduced since cuc are left out?

I just figured since it calls for 6 lbs of cucumbers and 3 pounds of onions, I'd just use 9 pounds of onions. Maybe 1 pound less, but if there are too many onions to brine ratio
I'll just keep those out to eat without canning. I'm sure they will cook down. Maybe Dave or Carol will jump in here with a better way to figure how many onions!

The volume of cucumbers per pound and the volume of onions per pound may differ, so I'm not sure that using equivalent pounds will work in terms of the pickling solution.

I have a 2002 edition of Chesman's book. Her recipes in that revised edition were updated to meet USDA guidelines and I assume that would be true of successive editions. I don't consider her worrisome and have had great success with several of her pickling recipes.

Carol

Onions smush much more than cukes do especially when cooked and they pack tighter in the jars. So when we make the NCHFP recipe we just use 20 cups (1 lb = 2 cups approx.) of sliced onions. We slice everything thin.

If you want the peppers also then trade off 1-2 cups of onions for peppers. Keep in mind this is a straight vinegar recipe so some flexibility is allowed for.

I don't recall ever having to make extra brine but then my memory isn't what it should be either and wife is gone to store so I can't ask her. But if needed the extra brine is easy to make up quickly. Many pickle recipes will require making extra brine so I don't see it as an issue.

Dave

Thanks for the information. I like the idea of being able to have a batch of mostly onions but I want to make sure I understand the trade off between the onions and peppers. The ration would be 1 cup of onions to 1 cup of peppers, right? I'd make it mostly onions but may want to have some hot peppers just to spice it up a bit as well as add some color.

There isn't a ratio to worry about since it is pure vinegar. It is however much of each you want. We like mostly onions but want just a few sweet peppers for flavoring and color so I mentioned the 1-2 cups of peppers. If you want some hot peppers too no problem. Just make sure it is 5% vinegar and don't dilute the vinegar with any other liquids.

You can pickle just about anything in straight vinegar. Sweet peppers, hot peppers, onions, garlic, etc. So it can be all peppers or all onions 1/2 and 1/2 peppers and onions or what ever mix of them you wish.

If this were a water diluted vinegar recipe like many other pickling recipes it would be a different matter all together and you wouldn't be able to trade either peppers or onions for cukes. But since it isn't diluted the ratio of peppers to onions isn't a safety issue.

OK?

Dave

OKDokey! This opens my jars to many possibilities. Thanks for the thorough explanation.

This opens my jars to many possibilities.

As long as the pickling brine in the jar is pure 5% vinegar with no other added liquids, yes it does.

Dave

So what can be done with these onions after pickling them? I realize they would be very sweet. I'm interested in hearing what all you do with these onions. Interesting thread.

Sandwiches, hamburgers, in panini, chopped on hot dogs and brats just like a relish, diced in lettuce salads, added to tuna salad and potato salad, mixed into yogurt or sour cream for a dip or baked potato topping, added to salad dressing, on pizza, Mexican dishes, omelets, quiche, broiled on top of scalloped potatoes, etc. Really in anything you would use onions in or on.

They add a different zing than a plain onion but they aren't sweet anymore than a B&B pickle is a sweet pickle since they have much less sugar in them and different spices than most sweet pickle recipes do.

Dave

PS: Then there is always the plain old pickled onion sandwich with mayo. :)

Dave, I'm suddenly starving!! I think this is a great idea! Thank you for this! Impatient Ellen will be making some of this now this week!