Quick Pickled Red Onions

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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free/Vegan

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 1 quart

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board

• Chef's knife

• Vegetable peeler

• Small saucepan

• 1-quart Mason jar or glass container with lid

• Small silicone or rubber spatula

The Recipe:

This recipe was adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion

• 1-2 jalapenos, optional

• 1 1/4 cups seasoned rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 (1-inch long) strips of lime zest (see tips if you're not sure of the best way to get these)

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

• 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

• 5 allspice berries

Procedure:

1. Prepare the onion: Cut your onion in half from "pole to pole" (think of the root end as the North Pole and the opposite/stem end as the South Pole; you will be cutting both your poles in half). Lay one half flat on your board and cut off the stem end, then remove all layers of the papery peel (there are usually 1-3). Thinly slice your onion, moving from where the stem was towards the root end. Discard root end. Repeat with your other onion half.

2. Prepare the jalapeno, if using: Cut off the stem end of your jalapeno(s) and discard. Slice into rings that are about 1/4 inch thick.

3. Pack onions and jalapeno into a 1-quart mason jar.

4. Combine vinegar, water, lime zest, garlic, peppercorns, mustard seeds and allspice berries in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

5. Once mixture is at a full boil, remove from heat and carefully pour into your jar of onions.

6. Use a spoon or small rubber spatula to push everything down into the liquid; your goal is to get everything as submerged as possible.

7. Let your jar cool completely on the counter (1-2 hours). Cover jar and refrigerate at least 3 hours before eating.

Refrigerated pickled red onions will be good for about 3 weeks, although they may start to lose some of their crunch after the first week.

To Serve: I love pickled red onions on top of hamburgers, black bean burgers, in sandwiches, in wraps, in tacos, on top of salads...the sky's the limit, in my opinion!

Tips:

• The zest of a citrus fruit refers to the outermost layer of the skin. It holds a ton of the fruit's citrus oil, so it's usually considered to have more flavor than the actual juice. The easiest way I've found to get lime zest is to use a peeler (I'm a big fan of a Y-peeler with a serrated blade for this job). I sometimes have to wiggle the peeler back and forth a few times while applying gentle pressure to get the peeler to take hold of the zest. Once I've gotten a hold of the zest, I gently peel back, making sure not to dig too deep (the goal is to get as little of the white "pith" as possible) until I think I've gone about an inch down, then pull my peeler to one side to cut and release the zest (see photo below):

• I love spicy foods, but if you don't I would recommend leaving the jalapenos out of the mix. Even if you don't eat them, they will make your onions taste spicy just by being jar-neighbors. If you REALLY love super spicy food, you could throw 1/4 teaspoon or more of crushed red pepper into the pan as well (and buckle up, buttercup).

• I've used serrano chiles in this recipe in place of the jalapeno and it turned out great, so I think any kind of spicy pepper would work. I also think you could use dried chiles to impart spice if you just wanted spicy onions but didn't care to eat the peppers (if using dried, leave them whole).

• The seasoned rice vinegar really makes these pickled onions something special. One time I was out and I substituted white vinegar; the results were edible but the taste was much sharper and I vastly preferred the seasoned rice wine version. Seasoned rice vinegar is simply rice wine vinegar with added salt and sugar. If you have unseasoned rice vinegar and want to try making it seasoned, simply combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon table salt to 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, whisk constantly for about 3 minutes or until the sugar and salt completely dissolve.

• You can really pack the onion and jalapeno into the jar quite tightly. The liquid (called a brine) will flow around everything and as soon as it hits the veggies they will start to shrink a bit as well. If things aren't fitting before you add the brine, use a small rubber spatula or a spoon to help you move things around and complete the puzzle.

Packed nice and tight.

• Use a mason jar with a wide mouth to make this whole process go smoothest.

• I have a small saucepan with a little lip/pour spout on it, so it works really slick for me to pour directly from the pan into the jar. If your pan does not have this, you might consider first pouring your brine mixture into a glass liquid measuring cup that has a wider opening, and then adding it to your mason jar.

• If you don't have a mason jar, you could use a glass covered container (like a Pyrex) as well.

The Story:

Pickled red onions are one of my refrigerator staples; I always have them on hand to top burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, tacos and the like. I've experimented with a few different recipes, and this one is definitely my fav.

Slicing the onion nice and thin.

I've done non-spicy pickled red onions, and while they are still good I enjoy the spice of adding the jalapeno. This also gives me a supply of pickled jalapenos to dip into should I want to make a quick salsa (I put the pickled jalapenos on tacos and burgers, too).

All my ingredients, pre-pickle.

I got into water-bath canning for a hot second, so I have a huge stash of Mason jars for recipes such as these. I much prefer the ease and convenience of the quick-pickle. For these types of recipes or for food storage in general, I love using leak-proof, reusable plastic jar lids for my Mason jars. They truly are leak-proof and travel super well too! I've transported sauces/liquids to friends houses in these and haven't had a spill yet.

Using a little baby rubber spatula to move things around and get everything submerged.

This recipe is quick, simple, and delivers the spicy, acidic kick I love to find in a dish. They make classics like cheeseburgers much more exciting, and they add an impressive-but-oh-so-easy, beautiful splash of color to a burger or taco bar when I'm entertaining.

The colors on these when they start to pickle are just gorgeous.

Happy tasting!