[County Dangler]

Being fairly new to this veg growing game (my first year in fact) i have a question about pickling onions. I put several rows of seeds in a few month back along with a few rows of springs. The have both done brilliantly and obviously the springs are self explanatory but when do i pick the pickling onions? They are now bulbing up nicely (1" across) although some are thicker in the stem then others. I took half a dozen of the best looking ones out 3 days ago and left them out to see if they would dry up but as of yet, nothing. Do they need a little longer? How do i tell when is best to pick them and what is the general procedure?

thanks in advance

[Bert]

I think you pick all onions ( not sping ) when there leaves start to yellow. Someone who knows more will be along soon. With better advice.

[Lesley Silvester]

That certainly goes for ordinary onions but I don't know about pickling ones.

[darkbrowneggs]

I have never grown pickling onions - usually I pickle the small shallots - but as others have said bulbing onions are ready to harvest when the foliage begins to brown and shrivel. 


I find it best to then lift them partly away from the soil at that point if the weather is dry and leave then to ripen outside, but if its wet - as with me now - they are lifted and put in a light airy barn or, if there is space, in the polytunnel or greenhouse.


The ripening helps to sweeten them up a bit and brings out the flavour.  Then you can pickle them at the end of Oct or during Nov, so they will be nice and crisp for Christmas