Pickled Onion Review #14: Dr Burnorium's Ghost Pepper Psycho Onions

A month ago, my good friends Jay and Claire, who are either very generous or have a sadistic streak, gave me a jar of Dr Burnorium's Ghost Pepper Psycho Onions.

The label features Dr Burnorium - a grinning skull in a top hat, which should be sufficient warning. It also carries the ominous tagline, "Serious Pickles for Serious Chilli heads". This is not an idle threat.

These are not for the casual pickled onion connoisseur. They are, as advertised, for the serious chilli fan. The heat, courtesy of the multiple Naga Jolokia Ghost Pepper Chillies floating menacingly in the vinegar, is as violent as you'd expect.

Back on the 15th of November, I recorded a video on Minehead beach, unjaring them for the first time. The initial bite was so potent that it made me hiccup. In the month since that bracing seaside experience, I have managed to consume a grand total of three onions. They are, to put it mildly, potent.

Despite the aggressive heat, the onions themselves aren't bad. They've retained a decent crunch, a quality often sacrificed in the pursuit of extreme pickling. I've seen some chatter online suggesting they can be soft, but the jar I have has held up well.

The ingredients are straightforward: Onions, Naga Jolokia, Water, Acetic Acid, Spirit Vinegar, Flavouring. As regular readers will know, I’d prefer Malt Vinegar without the added acetic acid, but in this case... you won’t bloody notice the vinegar, mate. The label proudly declares a "Heat Level 10+ XXX HOT", and for once, this is not marketing hyperbole.

The Verdict

If it’s pickled onions you’re after, these are a novelty, but a well-executed one. They deliver exactly the brutal, hiccup-inducing heat they promise, while still managing to be a decent pickled onion underneath. They're a bit hotter than my personal taste, but I can't fault their honesty. If you like your food to fight back, you'll probably love these.

3.5 onions out of 5.
🧅🧅🧅🌗❌