Small, firm and sweeter than a standard brown onion. Pickling onions are the preserving enthusiast's essential and one of the most underrated cooking onions in the shop. Pickle them whole in malt vinegar with bay leaves, peppercorns and a little sugar for a jar that belongs on every cheese board and in every ploughman's lunch. Roast them whole alongside a leg of lamb until caramelised and tender, add to a slow braise where the small size means they cook evenly without falling apart, or thread onto skewers for the barbecue where the natural sweetness comes forward under heat. Available year-round with reliable quality and no season to wait for. Look for firm dry bulbs with tight papery skin and no soft spots or sprouting. Small and uniform in size is your quality signal.
