Grandma’s sweet-and-sour pearl onions. They are a simple side dish with a delightful flavor — addictive like cherries — and they can best enhance the taste of the dish they accompany: here are the Borettane pearl onions in sweet-and-sour sauce! Excellent as a starter or side dish, good both warm and at room temperature, and perfect to accompany a good cheese board with cheeses of various degrees of aging. The sweet-and-sour note, given by the union of sugar and vinegar, and the perfect glaze — soft and silky thanks to the butter — allow us to present a vegetarian dish suitable for everyone! Let’s go to the kitchen and prepare them together — you’ll see how good they are. For a vegan version, try the Sweet-and-Sour Pearl Onions without sugar and butter. If you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Take a look:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb pearl onions (Borettane)
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- to taste salt
- 4 tsp water
- 2.5 tbsp butter
- to taste rosemary
- to taste apple cider vinegar (or white wine, about half a glass (~3.4 fl oz / 100 ml).)
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Skillet
Preparation
To prepare the sweet-and-sour pearl onions, pour the brown sugar into a large heavy-bottomed pot and add the water. Let the sugar dissolve over low heat, stirring a little, then add the butter.
When the butter has melted, add the washed Borettane pearl onions, season with salt and sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally, so they brown in the butter and sugar.
When they begin to take on color, pour in the vinegar, let it evaporate, and add a little water. Cook for another 20 minutes or until they are soft, adding water as needed.
Once ready and glazed, transfer them to a suitable container and serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage and tips
To best enjoy the sweet-and-sour pearl onions, it is recommended to let them rest a bit and serve them at room temperature or, at most, warm if the butter should solidify. You can also prepare the onions in advance one or two days ahead and keep them in the refrigerator, reheating them as needed to melt the butter and revive the glaze. You can store the pearl onions in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
To best enjoy the sweet-and-sour pearl onions, it is recommended to let them rest a bit and serve them at room temperature or, at most, warm if the butter should solidify. You can also prepare the onions in advance one or two days ahead and keep them in the refrigerator, reheating them as needed to melt the butter and revive the glaze. You can store the pearl onions in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
