Making pickled onions is actually very simple and quick to do. Whether you have a lot of onions and want to preserve them for later use, or just want to make a simple side dish to a previously simple dish, pickled onions go well with a variety of foods. With a little bit of acid, sugar, and spices, ordinary onions will turn out great.
Ingredients
- Water to boil the onions
- Ice water bath
- 1 red onion (or any onion you can use), cut in half and sliced
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 small dry chili
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (sherry vinegar works fine too)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/8 - 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Step
Step 1. Divide the onion into two halves, peel and slice
Shallots are perfect for this recipe; With its distinctive taste and sharp red color, it will turn pink after a few days of being stored in the refrigerator.
You can slice the onions to any thickness you like -- no matter how thick they are, the onions will still absorb the pickle solution. Some people prefer to cut onions into circles, so they are easy to pick up with a fork; while others prefer to cut it into a semicircle
Step 2. Heat the water in the stove or kettle
Heat enough water to completely cover the onion slices.
Step 3. While the water starts to boil, put the spices in a small saucepan
Place the cloves, cinnamon, chilies, and thyme in a saucepan and roast over medium-high heat until fragrant, which is about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4. When the water is almost boiling, remove from the heat and add the onions
Count to 10, and then strain the water and onions through a sieve.
Why soak onions in boiling water? This soaking will remove some of the acid from the raw onions. You don't have to soak them in boiling water if you like the pungent taste of raw onions, but reducing the onion flavor a little will make the pickle juice taste even more striking
Step 5. Transfer the onions from a sieve to the ice water bath to stop the cooking process
You can leave the onions in or remove them after 10 seconds. Onions left in ice water will have a milder flavor, as the sulfur compounds (onions' natural defenses) will leach into the water. Once the onions are done soaking, strain them to dry and place them in a bowl.
Step 6. Add vinegar, lime juice, and 1/4 cup sugar to the roasted spices in the pan
Turn the heat to medium-high and allow the pickle juice to simmer, thus dissolving all the sugar. Let it simmer for 1 more minute.
Step 7. Remove the pickle juice from the stove, and pour it into the bowl with the onions
Close the container and put it in the refrigerator. Pickled onions will be ready within an hour, but you'll get the best flavor after at least a day.
Store the pickled onions in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Pickled onions will turn slightly pink in color over time
Step 8. Enjoy
Try your pickles with homemade tacos, fatty meat sandwiches (such as pork), or warm stews.
Method 1 of 1: Additional Considerations
Step 1. Choose different spices for your pickle juice
The spices above are just one combination that goes well together. There are many other spices that go well with pickled onion juice. Here are some of them:
- Fresh whole garlic. Just a little bit gives off a strong flavor, but who doesn't love the combination of garlic and onions? It tasted really delicious.
- Fresh ginger. Ginger will reduce the acidity of the onion with its distinctive taste.
- Bay leaf. Dried bay leaf has a complex smoky fresh taste.
- Fresh herbs. Try rosemary, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, and many others.
- juniper fruit. Fruity, spicy, complex taste. This fruit will give the pickle juice its distinctive taste.
- Lawn flower. An appropriate substitute or complement to cloves.
- Mustard seeds. These seeds will give the onion a strong smoky flavor.
Step 2. Pickling the beets together with the onions will give them a bright pink color
If you only have yellow or white onions, but still want a pretty pink color to your pickled onions, then beets are a great choice. Beets have a natural color that is almost tasteless. And did we mention it tastes delicious too?
Step 3. Pickle whole onions according to a traditional English recipe
The traditional British method of pickling onions is to use small yellow onions, or red onions, and leave them whole. Malt vinegar is generally used, instead of using apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar. Try making it for a different culinary experience.
Tips
-
If you choose to process the onions for a longer shelf life, pour the vinegar over the onions while the liquid is still hot, leaving about 1.2 cm of space left. Close the bottle tightly with the bottle seal and ring as usual, then immerse the bottle in the water bath in the canner for 10 minutes, or as directed based on the altitude where you live.
Keep in mind that processing pickled onions will change their consistency
- If you pour vinegar on the onions before they cool, the onions will shrivel.
