Pickled Shallots And Garlic In Balsamic Vinegar - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 large heads of garlic
2 ounces salt
2 1/2 cups water
1 lb shallot, peeled and left whole
1 quart cheap balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon pickling spices

Preparation

Separate the garlic into individual cloves. Peel each garlic clove, leaving it whole.
Mix the salt and the cold water together in a large bowl until the salt has dissolved, making a brine solution.
Place the onions and garlic in the brine and leave for 12 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
Place the onions and garlic, mixed together, in sterilised bottles or jars.
In a non-reactive pan, heat together the balsamic vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and cool.
Pour the spiced vinegar over the onions and garlic covering them completely. Cover the bottles or jars and leave for 3 months before using.