Simple Pickled Onions
Equipment & Tools
1 16-ounce, wide-mouth glass canning jar, ring, and lid
Saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Knife
Cutting board
Wooden spoon
Wide-mouth funnel
Towel
Ingredients
Produce:
1 red onion
Brine:
¾ cup white vinegar
¼ cup filtered water
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon canning salt
¼ teaspoon monkfruit sweetener
Recipe Notes
Year-round, if you open our refrigerator, you’ll find bright pink pickled onions. To name only a few dishes, we eat pickled onions atop avocado toast, omelettes, tacos, burgers, soups, and roasted vegetables.
You can go wild with this recipe! Add a few slices of jalapeño peppers (and include most, if not all, of the inner pith and seeds!) if you’d like an added spice. You can also increase your lime juice by ½ to 1 tablespoon for a more lime-forward flavor—especially if it’s taco night!
Scaling this recipe is super simple. If you pickle a large onion instead of a small, grab a second pint-size jar, and make additional brine. You can make 2 separate rounds of brine, or exactly double the brine.
Step-by-Step Process
Yield: 1 16-ounce jar
Total steps: 8
Take a look around your kitchen. Make sure it’s a space in which you’re ready to spend some time. Turn up your favorite playlist, open a window, or light a new candle.
Prepare your ingredients, and read the full recipe. Set your ingredients out, and make sure you have every item you need before getting started. Read through each step below to learn your landscape ahead.
Prepare your onion. Cut your onion in half from top to bottom (stem to root). Slice the stem and root away, and remove the outermost layer. Thinly slice each half, and place the slices into your jar. Fill to the bottom of the lowest part of the jar’s mouth, about ½ inch below the rim of the jar. Pack as tightly as you can. It’s okay if you create a few smaller slices in order to fill your jar tightly. (I use a chef’s knife and slice my onion as thinly as I can. You can also use a mandolin slicer if you prefer!)
Prepare your brine. Add your vinegar, water, lime juice, canning salt, and monkfruit sweetener to your saucepan. Heat on low to medium until your salt and monkfruit sweetener have completely dissolved. Slowly stir with your wooden spoon. This may take 3—5 minutes. Do not boil.
Pickle your onion. Carefully pour or ladle your brine into your jars. Allow your funnel to assist you. Fill to the lowest part of the jar’s mouth, about ½ inch below the rim of the jar. Make sure your brine completely covers your onion slices. Use your wooden spoon to press your onion slices down into your brine if needed.
Tidy your jar. Wipe your jar clean, especially the rim, with a warm, damp towel.
Add your lid and ring. Tighten.
Refrigerate. Place your jar in your refrigerator to allow your onion to pickle completely. Wait 24 to 48 hours before opening and enjoying.
