Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients

See recipe card for quantities.

• Red Onions → I like them finely sliced! Thicker slices work too, and are even crunchier.
• Apple Cider Vinegar → Change the basic recipe up with white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar. 
• Water → A quarter cup of water is added to the brine to dilute the vinegar.
• Sugar → Helps to balance out the pungent flavor of the vinegar. I use white sugar. Can be substituted with a sweetener of your choice such as maple syrup, honey, or erythritol for a sugar-free version.
• Salt → Just a pinch is needed to bring out all the different flavors.
• Spices: Garlic Clove, Bay leaf, Black Peppercorns → To make the flavor of pickled onions more complex.

Variations → Adjust spices for a different twist: chili pepper, red pepper flakes, a stick of cinnamon, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, sliced ginger, or fresh herbs (I recommend sprigs of thyme) can be added.

Visual Step-by-Step Instructions

This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner! 😉

• Peel red onions and slice them into fine rings (using a mandolin slicer).

• Add apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

• Add sliced onion rings, garlic clove, bay leaf, and black peppercorns into an 8 oz (250ml) mason jar.
• Pour boiling-hot pickling liquid over the onion rings.
• Close the jar tightly, allow to cool briefly, and leave to infuse overnight in the refrigerator.

Storage Instructions

The pickled onions will keep for 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Important: Always use a clean fork to dig into this jar.