I’ll admit it. I don’t like onions. They’re good fried in rings or blooming onions, with lots of ketchup or sauce. They can be used as a spice to flavor cooked foods, when in moderation. But chopped or sliced onions on my hotdog, burger, or burrito? No, thank you! Then, this pickled onion recipe changed my life – at least where my relationship with this ever-present and pungent bulb is concerned.
I had a whole bag of onions on my kitchen counter. It’s not something I usually do, but there it was. A friend stopped by to pick up some sourdough starter and brought me a small plastic tub of pickled onions in exchange.
“They’re not quite dill pickles, and not quite sweet pickles,” she said. I smiled and thanked her, but I wasn’t excited. But I was determined to at least give them a try.
The next day, I made chili dogs. I thought my husband might enjoy the pickled onions on his, but I didn’t plan on eating them. I’d try them, though.
When that little onion sliver touched my tongue, fireworks went off in my mouth. It was good! I was hooked.
Somehow, the pickling process had removed the bite that has always caused me to loath raw unions. Not to mention the fact that they’re delightfully salty and subtly sweet. I had them all over that chili dog. With chicken tortilla soup. On chips.
I texted my friend for the recipe. I now knew what to do with all those onions.
Pickled Onion Recipe
Prep time: about 10 minutes
Makes 3 pint jars
Ingredients
3 cups vinegar (white or apple cider)
2 cups water
2/3 cup kosher or pickling salt
1/4 cup sugar
5 large onions
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp whole coriander seed
Preparation
- Place the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil.
- Prepare your jars. You can sanitize in a water bath canner if desired, or just wash and rinse thoroughly. Place a bay leaf in each jar, and divide the peppercorns and coriander evenly.
- Peel and halve your onions. Thinly slice.
- Divide the onions evenly between the jars.
- Pour the boiling water/vinegar mixture over the onions. Make sure the onions are completely covered in the liquid, leaving at least 1/2 inch headroom at the top of the jar. Lid the jars and allow them to cool.
- Refrigerate. The onions can be used immediately, but the flavor mellows if left in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Tip: You can use any type of onion, even pearls. You can also experiment with adding garlic cloves or other spices. If you’re watching your sodium, you can decrease the amount of salt. In this recipe, it’s the vinegar, not the salt, that aids in food preservation.
Notice that these are refrigerator pickles – your jars will likely seal, but without the microorganism-neutralizing effects of the water bath canner, the onions should not be stored at room temperature.
Eventually, I’ll update this recipe with canning instructions. In the meantime, have you canned onions? How long did you boil them in the water bath canner? Did it affect their crunchiness? Tells us in the comments below!
One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.
One of the first things you should know about buying an inflatable hot tub is that they are typically not portable in nature. This means that you won’t be able to take it on a picnic or camping trip with you because you will have to leave it somewhere where it is easy to access and use.