Quick-Pickled Onions
Pickling transforms raw red onions from pungent and crunchy to irresistibly tangy and crisp. I add some red pepper flakes for extra spice and a splash of maple syrup or honey to round out the other strong flavours. These quick-pickled onions are ready to serve after a brief 30-minute cooling period. Start your meal prep with these onions, and they’ll be ready to go by the time the rest of your dinner is ready.
Recipe from cookieandkate.com
Makes 2 cups
Effort: Easy
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins + 30 mins cooling time
Gluten free
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 ½ tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
Place sliced onions into a bowl or glass jar.
In a small saucepan, combine the water, both vinegars, maple syrup, salt, and chilli flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the bowl/jar over the onions.
Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Hints & tips
Onions - The trick to making truly quick pickled onions is to slice the onions very thin (about 1/8-inch), so they soften up and absorb the vinegar quickly. You can do this with a sharp knife or mandoline.
You could choose to slice the onions thicker (about 1/4-inch) for more of a crunch. Beware that your onions will need a few hours, or an overnight rest, to give the vinegar time to reach all the way through the onion.
Vinegar - Using a combination of apple cider vinegar and regular distilled vinegar makes these pickles taste more interesting. You can use all distilled vinegar if that’s all you have at home.
Serving suggestion - These pickled onions are great for just about anything. Great served over burgers, fritters or used in salads.
Portion size - You could easily double or triple the recipe for a big party or barbecue
Storage - They keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Not suitable for freezing.
