Easy Crunchy Pickled Onions

Something to always have in your fridge are pickled onions. Their crunchy texture, mild but tangy flavour and colour make them a great addition to so many dishes. As a topping for sandwiches, salads, burgers, bowls, or pretty much anything else, I’ll never stop to be amazed by how many things benefit from adding pickled onions to them. The contrast in flavour and texture is guaranteed to be a simple hack to bring life to your dishes! Top your basic avocado toast with some pickled onions, and you’ll see what I mean.

Another thing this recipe has going for itself is: Pickled onions are so easy and quick to make. While pickling seems intimidating to many people, and I know just a few friends who have tried prickling themselves, this recipe shows how easy it is. You can make these pickled onions in 15 minutes, and they will be ready to enjoy just a few hours after preparation. I always have a glass of pickled onions in my fridge, they are so simple to make, and I wouldn’t want to miss them.

Furthermore, they are a healthy addition to your diet: Red onions are packed with antioxidants and contain vitamins, biotin and manganese. By pickling, the antioxidants are preserved nicely. Also, the vinegar used for pickling can be beneficial for gut health!

Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions:

• Red onions
• White wine vinegar
• Salt
• Sugar
• Peppercorns
• Bay leaves
• Optional: Other spices of choice

Firstly, you need onions. I like to use red onions, as they have a nice firm texture. Also, they carry a natural sweetness, and their colour changes to an interesting, vibrant pink. You can also use shallots or white onions for pickling, but I always return to red onions.

To make the pickling liquid, you need white wine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. While these are the only ingredients you need, you can also add spices to your preference. I like to keep these pickling recipes as clean as possible because I eat these onions with pretty much anything. I am adding a few black peppercorns and bay leaves to the mix, and that’s it. If you want to try some other spices, herbs like thyme, rosemary, garlic, or mustard seeds make fantastic additions.

How to make Pickled Onions:

Firstly, cut your onions into slices of your preference. I like to have thin slices, so I am using a mandoline. Next, we can prepare our pickling jar. While it’s unlikely that bacteria forms due to the pickling liquid, I still give the jars a good rinse with boiling water before using them.

Next, put a pot on your stove and add equal amounts of water and white wine vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and add your sugar and salt. Add the onions and peppercorns to the jar, and fill it with the pickling liquid until the onions are fully immersed. Let everything cool to room temperature, seal the jar with its lid and keep it in the refrigerator.

Will the Onions keep well:

The pickled onions should easily keep well in the refrigerator for a month. You want to only keep them in the refrigerator and not on the shelf, as they are not properly canned. And as always, if something smells or tastes weird, discard it. If you want to make them pantry-friendly, make sure to can the pickled onions.

Some more Recipe Inspirations:

• These red onions work fantastic as a topping on avocado toast with this vegan fish substitute!
• Pickled cauliflower is a seriously underrated pickle.
• Dandelion capers are a beautiful condiment you can forage yourself during spring.
• Pickled radish is beautiful and tasty.
• Another fantastic pickle to try: Amazing tangy red cabbage. It’s a perfect addition to tacos and bowls.
• These pickled dill cucumbers are so simple and delicious.
• Pickled carrots are another crunchy yet easy pickle to make.
• One of my all-time favourites is pickled beets! Give them a look if you haven’t had them before.

Pickled Onions

Course: Sides, PickleDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

Jar

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 red onions

• 100ml white wine vinegar

• 100ml water

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 2 bay leaves

• 8 black peppercorns

Directions

• Give your pickling jar a rinse with boiling water.
• Cut your onions into slices of your preference. You can use a mandoline or knife for this.
• Put a pot on your stove and add the water and white wine vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and add your sugar and salt.
• Add the onions and peppercorns to the jar, and fill it with the pickling liquid until the onions are fully immersed. Seal the jar with its lid and store it in the refrigerator.