Violet, white, and pale green spring onions are so picturesque that I want them to last forever. Pulled from the ground when they’re as thin as scallions, they are tender and strong tasting, growing sweeter as the bulbs swell to plumpness. These onions are inevitably my first pickle project of the spring, stocking the pantry for another year. Sweet and sour with the combination of sugar and vinegar, the batches are varied by the addition of herbs and spices. Here I used lovage from my garden along with peppercorns and allspice berries, but tarragon is lovely, and so are cloves. The young onions can be tough so I simmer them a little in the pickling liquid. Packed in jars and stored in the refrigerator, they cure in a couple of weeks and last for months, that is, unless they’re gobbled up. I slice them to add to simple potato salad or cucumbers (cooked or raw), or serve them with grilled cheese sandwiches or burgers. The leftover pickling liquid becomes the base for salad dressing. <br />

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