Why do you soak onions in brine before pickling?

1: Brining your Onions Before you begin to peel and trim them, prepare a large bowl of salty water (brine). This draws moisture out of the onions and softens them ever so slightly before pickling. (A dry brine is used when crisper onions are required.)

Can you reuse onion brine?

You’re only using it to make refrigerator pickles. Once a brine has been used to can something, that’s it. You can’t do it again because you can’t guarantee the acidity level once it has been heated up, hot water processed, absorbed by vegetables and refrigerated for an unknown amount of time.

Why do homemade pickled onions go soft?

Why did my Pickled Onions go Soft? Probably because you brined them first in salt and water as some recipes suggest. But apparently, it will result in a softer onion.

Do you have to use sugar when pickling?

“Pickles are about vinegar and salt, not sweetness,” says Perry. Yes, you should have some sugar, but be wary of recipes that call for more than a ΒΌ cup of sugar. Your brine should lean salty, not syrupy. If you just use vinegar in your brine, it will be way too sharp, warns Perry.

Can I just put cucumbers in pickle juice?

All you need are cucumbers and leftover store-bought pickle juice. Any brand works such as Vlasic of Claussen. You can also use any whether it is spicy, bread and butter, dill, or sweet. Whatever you like, save that pickle juice to reuse and make a small batch of quick refrigerator pickles.

Why have my homemade pickled onions gone soft?

How long soak pickled onions?

Place the peeled onions in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and toss to distribute the salt. Cover with a towel or loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit at room temp overnight. Don’t let them sit longer than 14 hours or so or the amount of “crunch” will be compromised. Rinse well and drain thoroughly.