Golden Crunchy Pickled Onion Rings

To each sterilized pint jar add 6 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 teaspoon mustard seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Set aside.

Peel and slice the onions into 1/4″ thick rings. Separate the onion rings carefully and divide among the jars.

In a large nonreactive (in other words, glass, enamel or stainless steel) saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, turmeric and cinnamon over high heat. Heat the syrup to boiling and then allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour the hot liquid over the onion rings being sure to leave 1/4″ of headspace. Use a chopstick or skewer to remove air pockets that might be in the jars by running it along the inside wall of the jar. If needed, add more hot syrup to maintain the 1/4″ headspace. This prevents bacteria from growing, so don’t be tempted to half fill a jar.

At this point, you can wipe the rims of the jars, put the clean two-piece lids on the jars and store them in the refrigerator for up to a year. However, I recommend going the extra step and canning them so your giftees can keep them in the pantry or on the shelf until needed. It’s not that difficult. I’ll talk you through it!

To can the onion rings:

For those of you with canning experience I’ll first give the succinct version of how to do this: After sealing jars with new two-piece canning lids, process them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool. Label. Store. Done.

For folks who may not have yet aquired the canning bug, let me break it down a little more. Carefully wipe the rims of your jars, place the flat lid on the jar top and screw the outer ring into place, taking care not to over-tighten it. If you do that, air cannot escape the jar during processing and that will prevent a good seal.

Take your sealed jars and place in a large stockpot or canner. Add enough tepid water to the pot to cover the jars by at least 1 1/2″. Place a cover on the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once water reaches a boil, set your timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, use canning tongs (or regular tongs, in a pinch) and extra doses of care and caution to remove the jars from the water to a cooling rack over a towel on your counter.

Don’t fiddle with the hot jars. Let the process take care of itself from here. Allow to cool, undisturbed, overnight. When jars are cool, wipe down with a clean, damp rag and allow to air dry. Label your beautiful jars and store for up to a year in your pantry or cupboard.

To glaze a corned beef with Golden Crunchy Pickled Onion Ring syrup:

Preheat oven to 425°F- 450°F. Place a hot, fully cooked corn beef in a roasting pan or baking dish with the fat side up. Drizzle generously with the leftover syrup and then sprinkle generously with brown sugar.

Bake for about 15 minutes, basting occasionally with more syrup, until the coating has bubbled and formed a crust. Remove from the oven and allow to rest about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.