Vietnamese Pickled Shallots Recipe

Prepare the Ingredients

Trim the roots of the shallots, peel them, and soak them in a basin of water mixed with coarse salt to disinfect and reduce the strong odor. Soak for about 15 minutes, then rinse and drain.

For whiter and more visually appealing shallots, you can remove the outer layers with purple or dark veins, keeping only the white inner layers.

Select medium-sized shallots that are not bruised. If the shallots are too large, consider splitting them so they absorb the seasoning faster and are easier to eat.

Wash the fresh chilies and slightly crush them.

Prepare the Brine

For the amount of shallots mentioned above, mix the pickling brine with the following ratio: 250ml vinegar + 200g white sugar + 50ml fish sauce + 30g salt + 250ml water. 

Note, you should boil the vinegar to reduce its harsh acidity and to enhance the fragrance of the pickled shallots, as well as to help preserve them longer. After boiling the vinegar, mix in the other ingredients.

Shallots take longer to absorb flavors, so when pickling shallots or eggplants, add a bit more salt compared to pickling other vegetables like cabbage, pickled mustard greens, or figs...

Pickle the Shallots

Clean the jar thoroughly and dry it completely. Then, add the shallots and chilies and pour in the prepared vinegar-sugar-fish sauce mixture. To ensure the pickled shallots don't develop a film or become slimy, make sure the brine has completely cooled before pouring it into the jar. 

If you have bamboo sticks, use them to press the shallots down to help them absorb the seasoning faster.

After 1.5 days, the pickled shallots can be eaten if the weather is warm. If it's cold, they will be ready in about 2 days. The pickled shallots have a balanced salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavor, are crisp and white, and the brine remains clear without any film or slime, with a wonderfully fragrant aroma.