Pickled Red Onions (or Jalepeños)

This fridge staple perks up almost any meal and is SO EASY to make

I’ll be sending out free recipes here and there to build up the recipe archive on my Substack, starting with easy essentials like this quick pickle recipe.

This is the basic recipe I use to quick pickle (“quickle”) red onions and jalepeños. You can play with adding aromatics like garlic, pepper corn, mustard seeds, star anise, cumin/fennel seeds, bay leaves, etc. to the jar before you pour in the hot vinegar to enhance the flavor… or keep it simple. They’ll keep in the fridge for a few months but they loose some of their crunch and vibrancy after a couple weeks. ⁣⁣⁣Note: If you want less, sugar, use less sugar, it’s a flexible recipe.

⁣⁣⁣Here’s the recipe - only 4 ingredients!⁣⁣⁣

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion

• 1 cup vinegar (white, rice, white wine, apple cider - any kind that isn’t too dark)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Slice onion into thin, half moon slices (use half if it’s really big.) A mandolin is great but a knife works.⁣⁣ Pack the onion slices into a glass jar.⁣⁣⁣

2. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣In a saucepan heat vinegar, (I like white wine, rice or champagne vinegar but you can use any kind really), water, sugar and salt.⁣⁣ Once vinegar is boiling and sugar and salt have dissolved, pour mixture over onions. You may have more liquid than you need depending on the size of your jar. If so you can use it to pickle another vegetable!⁣⁣

3. ⁣⁣Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate. They will turn bright pink in a little bit and you can start using them as soon as they’ve cooled (it’s technically a “quick pickle”.) 

What to put them on? Tacos, salads, nachos, pork, chili, vegetables, sandwiches, beans…

So many ways to use pickled red onions!!

If you’re pickling jalepeños, slice however many you want into slices about 1/6” thick. I just do enough to fill up whatever size jar I want to fill. The jar below was for a BIG taco buffet. Be careful about touching your face/eyes when cutting jalepeños. Place the sliced peppers in a jar and pour the boiling vinegar solution over them as instructed above.

Let cool before using. They will keep in the fridge, covered for a few months.