Recette de cuisineHomemade recipes · Hainaut
Favorites
Amsterdam onions pickled in vinegar and saffron

Amsterdam onions pickled in vinegar and saffron

Snacks

Silver onions, preserved in vinegar and spices, a traditional dish in Amsterdam Jewish cuisine.

Enlarge photo

Recipe from Mahjon99, Hombre, NikiWiki and 1 other contributors, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

↓ Jump to recipe

Amsterdam onions are a type of silvery onion preserved in vinegar and spices. Their characteristic yellow color comes from the spices used, particularly saffron. These onions originated in the Jewish cuisine of Amsterdam and were sold in the streets of Amsterdam by Jewish street vendors.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time2 min
  • Resting168 hr
  • Total168 hr 32 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Calories493 kcal/serving
  • Cooking methodpreservation
  • Estimated cost$8.97 $2.24 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan

Ingredients

4 people
  • $5.19
  • $1.98
  • $1.32
  • $0.03
  • $0.20
  • $0.06
  • $0.19

Prices from US supermarkets for 4 of 7 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Rinse the peeled onions with cold water. ≈ 2 min
  2. Cover them with cold, salted water (using the salt measure), and let them sit for at least 3 hours.
  3. While you’re doing that, sterilize the jars. ≈ 3 min
  4. Thoroughly rinse the onions and arrange them in the jars. ≈ 2 min
  5. Bring the vinegar, water, bay leaf, mustard, rosemary, saffron, and sugar to a boil, and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Pour the mixture over the onions, seal the jars, and let them cool upside down.
  7. Keep them cool and out of direct light: they are still good after 2 months, and excellent after 4.

The bill

Amsterdam onions pickled in vinegar and saffron

  • 2 to 3 kilograms of small white onions (pearl onions)$5.19
  • 1 cup of salt$1.98
  • 1 liter of vinegar$1.32
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds$0.03
  • 1 teaspoon of rosemary$0.20
  • 2 to 3 sachets of saffron (0.2 to 0.3 g) or 1 teaspoon of turmeric$0.06
  • 1 cup of sugar$0.19

Total$8.97

that's $2.24 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

Affiliate links

Nutrition per serving

Calories493 kcal
Fat3.9 g
Saturated fat1.3 g
Carbohydrates101.4 g
Sugars92.3 g
Fiber10.6 g
Protein6.9 g
Salt0.62 g

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 kilograms of small white onions (pearl onions)
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 1 liter of vinegar
  • 1 liter of water
  • 1 to 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of rosemary
  • 2 to 3 sachets of saffron (0.2 to 0.3 g) or 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 cup of sugar

The screen stays on while cooking mode is open.
🎬 Have a video of this recipe? Suggest a YouTube link

Did you film this recipe, or do you know a video that shows it? Axelle watches it before adding it to the page.

Nothing is published before approval.

✏️ A mistake, an idea for this recipe? Suggest a correction

Reviews (0)

Rate this recipe Be the first to rate it!

Your rating