Pickled Red Onions. Pro tip: choose onions that will fit in your jar when sliced.
Pickled red onions are easy, delicious and oh so instagrammable. They also have a short refrigerator life, turning bitter after a few days, so no reason not to make them often. Unlike most, our recipe contains no sugar, getting its slight sweetness from rice vinegar and warm spices in a pickling mix. Makes 2 c.
Ingredients:
2-3 small red onions (small enough to fit in your storage containers)
¾ c rice vinegar
¾ c water
½ t Kosher salt
1 t pickling spice mix (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
Cross section to show spices in jar.
Method: place half a bay leaf and ½ t pickling spice mix in the bottom of each of two 8-oz canning jars. (Or simply use any container that can withstand boiling liquid.) Peel the onions and slice very thin; a mandoline is recommended. Pack tightly into jars, paying attention to appearance from the sides and top.
Dissolve salt in vinegar in a small saucepan; add water and heat to boiling. Pour quickly over the onion rings in the jars. If you need more liquid, simply add equal amounts of vinegar and liquid till jars are filled to the top. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Pickles will be ready to enjoy in 3 hours and last up to a week, refrigerated.
We tried two preps: pouring the boiling liquid into the jar, and waiting for it to cool first. Hot liquid = marginally better flavor.
Uses: pickled red onions can be used anywhere you’d use raw onions: burgers, sandwiches, salads. Because they’re so pretty and so flavorful, consider serving them on the side and let diners assemble the final product themselves.
