Canning projects are running full steam — here’s one of our favorites. Based on a recipe from Edon Waycott’s Preserving the Taste.
Recipe makes 5 pints
2 large fennel bulbs
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Maui
2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon black pepper corns
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1. Peel and slice the onions very thin – a mandoline or food processor is a big help here.
2. Place the onion slices in colander over a plate or in the sink. Toss the onions with 2 Tablespoons of salt. It’s going to get drippy, hence the plate or sink to catch it all. Let istsit 2 hours.
3. After the onions are well-wilted, rinse off the salt and pat the onion slices dry.
3. Slice the fennel, including the stalks and feathery leaves thinly to match the onion slices.
4. In a large, heavy pot combine the water, vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, peppercorns and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: run the exhaust fan and / or open a window, boiling vinegar is very pungent!
5. Add the onion and fennel, stir well to mix. Bring back to the boil and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
6. Ladle the hot relish into prepared 1 pint canning jars. Seal and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
FOR FRESHTECH USERS, process the 1 pint jars on the Pickles 6 setting. The acid level of this Fennel Onion relish measured by a pH meter one week after canning is 4.1.
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