Onion Pickled Wieners

The easy to do recipe combines the flavour of the classic highway gas station pickled wieners with the bright, tart and sweet flavour of jarred pickled onions.  Keep a jar in your fridge at all times for a quick snack or an easy lunch served with cheese and crackers!

I’m one of those people who can source pleasure from canning jars of pickles, tomatoes, and beets on the hot days of summer.  As much as it is enjoyable, canning is an arduous task that takes pretty much all day, depending on what you are preserving, of course.  Onion Pickled Wieners, in contrast, take less than one hour.  And the time spent is absolutely worth it!

I’ve been preserving food in jars for many years.  And, many times, I’m asked the same question over and over again – doesn’t it get hot in your kitchen?  Why, yes it does!  Do you know how moms say that once you get to hold your newborn for the first time, you forget about the pain?  Well, without comparing canning to childbirth, it’s like that!  Once you crack open a jar of your homemade canned tomatoes in the dead of winter, and you smell that locked-in, summer-fresh scent, you forget all about that sweat running down your neck back in August!

Early last summer, not wanting to endure a hot August kitchen again, I invested in an outdoor cooktop.  It was a blessing!  I still cook the veggies and prepare the brine in my kitchen, but the boiling of the jars, either in terms of a water bath or a pressure canner, is done outside.  Investing in the outdoor cooktop was a game changer! 

Sometimes though, you don’t need to be bothered with all of that heat or all of that equipment required for safe canning and preserving.  Sometimes, like in the case of these wieners, all you need is a big jar, a pot, and a little bit of patience!

A TASTE OF MY CHILDHOOD

When I was just a wee boy, my siblings and I used to get an allowance every Friday evening.  My dad used to go away to work on Sunday and would return home around dinner time on Friday.  If I remember correctly, our allowance was fifty cents.  Maybe it was a dollar?  Back in the mid-80s, that could buy almost anything an eight-year-old could want!  Remember, this was before the internet and MTV, so our wants didn’t reach too far!

I would head off to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell’s store and get myself a bottle of grape pop, some gum, maybe a package of Certs, which I would hide in my pocket to eat in church on Sunday, and most definitely, a Neilsen’s chocolate chunk!  On occasion, I would buy one of those corner store toys that were popular back then. 

My favourite was the Styrofoam airplane which came packaged flat and you had to carefully build it.  The Styrofoam was super thin and painted to look like a plane – most of them army in nature.  The little plastic propeller that attached to the front helped it fly.  I think they were twenty-five cents, and totally worth the ten minutes of fun one could have with it before it nosedived into a woodpile or a puddle!

When my money didn’t go toward a paper airplane, it went toward a plastic, green army man which was attached to a plastic parachute.  These were dropped from the top of said woodpiles, which we climbed and sometimes accidentally knocked over trying to get to the top.  Sorry, Carl R. 

GET TO THE POINT, EDNA!

Yes, I’m getting there!  All of this is to tell you that by the time I reached the age of ten, I didn’t spend my money on those types of toys anymore.  I had graduated to spending all of my money on pickled wieners, Archie comics, and the Enquirer magazine!

Small-town living meant that we oftentimes would have to leave town to buy certain supplies or see a doctor or dentist.  Baie Verte was the go-to spot for most people back then.  We would buy groceries, check out the pharmacy, visit the craft store to restock mom’s yarn stash, and usually make a quick stop at Home Hardware for anything dad might need.  Depending on how my parents felt, or if there was extra cash, we might stop at Riff’s and Woolworths too!

Most of the time, whether money was on hand or not, we would stop for lunch.  There were a few places, but I always wanted to go to Jim’s Chinese Restaurant.  Why?  Because attached to the restaurant was a corner store which sold comics, magazines, and pickled wieners!

PICKLED WIENERS

That was the first time I remember seeing them, but they must have taken hold because soon, they could be found in other corner stores and especially gas stations!  But, I don’t think I’ve seen them anywhere but Newfoundland.  In fact, the last time I bought one was in Newfoundland back in 2015-ish. 

I remember my ex-wife and me driving to Springdale.  We stopped to get gas and they had a big jar of them sitting right on the counter next to the cash.  Those huge jars are unmistakable, filled with very fat, pickled wieners which are floating around in a murky sweet, vinegar bath.  I’m not selling this very well, am I!?

Anyway, I bought one and my ex-wife screwed up her nose at me.  But, as we drove away, she asked if she could have a bite.  And, guess what, she loved it and I don’t care how much she denies it now, she ate half of it!  Needless to say, I didn’t get another one after that.  At least not until I made my own.  But, there’s just one difference, my homemade version tastes fresher, is much cheaper, and has onions too! 

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Wieners – I’m using the jumbo all-beef wieners.  You can use regular-sized wieners or even cheaper chicken wieners.  I do not recommend using sausages or flavoured/stuffed wieners.
• Vinegar – Plain white vinegar seems to work the best since pickled wieners tend to have a strong vinegary taste.
• Water
• Black Peppercorns – These will impart a slightly warm peppery taste.  Salt is not needed in this recipe!
• Bay Leaves – A good brine is almost always prepared with bay leaves.
• Sugar – Just a little bit is all you need to take some of the strength out of the vinegar.
• Pickled Onions – You can buy jars of pickled onions almost anywhere.  Be sure to buy the sour version and not the sweet one.  Here’s the exact jar that I used.  Just dump the whole thing in – even the juice!

HOW TO MAKE ONION PICKLED WIENERS

Before you get started with preparing the brine, you will need to prepare the wieners.  Most wiener brands have a pinched seal on both ends.  If the brand you buy has those, trim them off.  Depending on the size of your jar, you may need to cut the wieners in half to fit.  I used jumbo wieners, so I cut them in half after trimming away both ends. 

Place the wieners into a pot and add enough water so that they are covered by one inch.  Place on your stovetop and bring to a full boil.  Once boiling, cook for one minute.  Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.  Boiling the wieners does two things.  First, it plumps the wiener, which makes it easier to absorb the brine.  And, secondly, it boils out some of the fat content so that your brine isn’t overly cloudy.  Again, the amount of fat will depend on the brand you use.

Next, prepare the brine by adding vinegar, water, peppercorns, and sugar to a pan.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn off the heat.   Transfer the wieners to a large, clean mason jar.  Pour in the entire jar of pickled sour onions.  Next, toss in the bay leaves and top up the jar with the hot brine mixture.  Place a lid on the jar and allow the jar to rest on your counter for one hour.  Finally, refrigerate for a minimum of two weeks before eating.  Onion Pickled Wieners will keep safely in the fridge for 8-12 weeks.

MAKING A MEAL OUT OF ONION PICKLED WIENERS

Did you know that you can actually cook pickled wieners?  Yes, I know they are already cooked, and in the preparation of this recipe, they were boiled as well.  But, instead of just eating them cold right out of the jar, you can cook them again.  Hear me out!  Pickled wieners are sweet, vinegary, peppery, etc.  All of those flavours are usually what will end up on a hot dog once you’ve piled all of your toppings on it.

So, why not try grilling the pickled wieners?  Pat them dry and spray a preheated grill with non-stick cooking spray.  Grill the wiener on all sides until slightly charred.  Place them on hot dog buns and top with your favourite hot dog toppings.  My favourite toppings are bread and butter pickles with homemade corn relish.  Delicious!  Add some of those pickled cocktail onions if you like!

Alternatively, you can slice them into half-inch rounds and pan-fry them in a little butter.  Once browned, add a can of beans in tomato sauce.  Warm the beans through and serve with buttered toast.  It’s the best beans and wieners you’ve ever tasted!