Easy Pickled Red Onions are an easy way to addd a tangy flavour to any meal. Made in minutes and can be stored for days in the fridge, quick pickled red onions are great on burgers, hot dogs, sandwhiches, salads, tacos, and so much more! This pickled red onion recipe is gluten and dairy free, vegan, as well as free from the top 9 allregens! Taste: A tangy and onion-y flavour with a hint of crunch in the first two days of pickling. Speed: 5 mins of work and the rest is cooling time! Difficulty: Beginner. This is a great recipe to improve cutting skills. Return for effort: Big flavour for little work! They keep a few days in the fridge so you can enjoy them longer. what is better than a fast and simple way to add flavour to our meals than by whipping up a batch of pickled red onions? We can use them on just about any sandwich, Salad, or recipe. They add a tang and zest to our food to keep it exciting or give us flavour when we hit a food rut. I know you can relate. Often we get in a rut when cooking for food allergies with little additions like this we can keep our regular meals – like a thick chili but add a few pickled red onions on top to make the recipe feel and taste vibrant and new. See recipe card for quantities. Red onions are the key to this recipe. They have the right taste pop to withstand pickling and add a ton of flavour to other dishes. You want to choose medium sized onions that are free from mould, discoloration, and imperfections. Proper pickling will only be as good as the produce you start with. Pro Tip: Remove the papery layers and cut the onion from root to tip (vertically) in thin strips, about ⅛ inch thick. Cutting the onion from top to bottom will keep the onions crisper and hold the crunch in longer. When the onions are cut across the fibers it releases more moisture and softens the onions. We love the flavour of apple cider vinegar in this recipe. The vinegar used needs to have a 5% acetic acid value to be able to store it in the fridge for upto 7 days. You can use another vinegar that is safe for you and your allergies and suited to your flavour preference. Some vinegars have a higher chance of cross contact with allergies. We have found some white vinegars with wheat cross contact. Pro Tip: Malt vinegar is never safe for anyone with coeliac’s disease. It is made from barley. We use sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt in this recipe when we make it. Double check for shared lines in manufacturing. Pro tip: Using table salt, iodised salt, or any other salt with anti-caking agents can result in a cloudy pickling liquid and discoloration of the onions. We like to use granulated sugar. Sometimes we choose honey, or maple syrup if we have it handy. To keep the pickled red onions vegan make sure to use a vegan granulated sugar. Most countries do not use bone char to refine sugar cane but there are still some countries that do. Honey is not an ingredient commonly accepted as vegan. Vegan honey has not been tested in pickling. Pro tip: If you are looking for a sweetener to replace the sugar only Splenda is heat stable for pickling. It will need a different amount as Splenda can taste sweeter than sugar using smaller amounts. For more info on heat stability and sweeteners in pickling and canning see this article by Oregon State University. If you have a ton of red onions or even just one you need to use up, this is the perfect recipe to make sure you do not waste the onions. This will also work for other kinds of onions, like pearl onions. When the red onions are all eaten don’t throw out the brine liquid. You can use the liquid to marinade meat! Use the quick red onion pickle liquid in this Pickle Brined Pork Roast or on Chicken Skewers. You can keep to one kind of vinegar or mix it up and do a custom blend of vinegars in a 60/40, 70/30, or 50/50 mix in easy pickled red onions. The three most important pieces of equipment are the storage jars, the pot, and the funnel. Glass canning jars with a tight fitting lid to keep the pickled red onions fresh longer in the fridge. It is really important to pickle in the right kind of material. You can use glass or ceramic jars as they will not react to the pickling brine. Metal and plastic will react to the acidity in the recipe and are not suitable for storing the pickled red onions. The pot is imperative as the brine needs to be heated on the stove. Microwaving will not evenly heat the liquid, so stovetop heating in a pot is needed. A canning funnel just makes pouring the liquid into the jar, so much easier. There are regular funnels with tiny spouts that you have to hold or wait to empty, skip that kind and get a canning funnel which has a spout the same size as the jar opening. I prefer using a wide mouth jar and a canning funnel to make things easier on me. Find pickled red onions too strong of a taste or bitter? Try soaking the onions in ice water for 15 minutes then pickling or in a vinegar bath for 10 minutes then rinsing to take a bit of the strong onion-y taste away. Another option is to dip the red onions in hot water to take the strong taste out of the onions. We prefer to skip all this as we like the full onion taste in our pickled onion. In a sterilised glass jar with a lid to make it airtight the easy pickled red onions will keep for up to 7 days in the fridge. It is not recommended to store this recipe in a metal or plastic container. Can You Make Spicy Pickled Red Onions? Yes, You can. Adding either dried chilis to the pickling liquid will add a hint of spice. While adding thinly sliced jalapenos, banana peppers, or your favourite hot pepper will make for a spicier red onion pickle. This is a great addition to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, asian inspired subs, and so much more. How Do You Make Sugar Free Pickled Red Onions? You need some sort of sweetness to counteract the bitterness in the onions. If you want to reduce the bitterness you could try blanching or soaking the onions first. The other thing the sugar balances is the zing of the vinegar. You can use a more naturally sweet vinegar to be able to omit the sugar in pickled red onions. The other thing you can do is use Splenda as a sweetener instead of sugar. Is Safe Canning Red Onion Pickles at Home? You can. Just like any other pickle they are suitable for home canning but this recipe is not one that has been tested for home canning. It is best to find a recipe that is specifically for home canning as the acidity of the onions and brine will matter. Everything!!! From pizza topping, to sandwiches filler, bagel addition, tacos, on salads, or even as a side. One of my favourites is to put them on a teriyaki chicken burger or on soy free carrot Lox! There are so many ways to use quick pickled red onions. Our favourite sandwiches to put pickled red onions on are: Servings: 8 Ounce Yield Calories: 21kcal Easy pickled red onions are an amazing way to add a zip and tang to your meals with little effort. They are an amazing side or topper for sandwiches, tacos, salads, and so much more. Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.03g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.1mg If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you. This article originally appeared on TheAllergenFreeKitchen.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
The Quick Lowdown:
We Adore Quick Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
The Ingredient Low Down
Red Onions
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt
Sugar
Low Food Waste Tips
Changing Up the Type of Vinegar
Different Flavour Additions
Equipment Needed for Easy Pickled Red Onions
Glass Jars
Stovetop Pot
Funnel
Top Tip
Refrigerator Storage Instructions
We do not recommend freezing pickled onions.FAQ
Adding a bit of lime juice along with the spice will make them similar to a mexican pickled red onion.
Splenda is a sugar replacement that is generally suitable for diabetics. It is also heat stable and can be used in a recipe like this where the pickling brine needs heating. Generally sweeteners and sugar replacements are used in a ⅓ amount from the original recipe sugar amount. Sugar replacers can taste very sweet, even when used in tiny amounts so start smaller and work up to your desired sweetness.
There are also a number of safety precautions that need to be met before canning a food. These directions are not suitable for home canning. If looking to can pickled onions check with the National Centre For Home Food Preparation for best practices and recipe adjustments and ideas for shelf stable storage.What Do You Put Pickled Red Onions On?
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
Allergy Resources
Using good quality heat resistant glass canning jars is important as they are less likely to crack or break when the hot pickling liquid is poured in them. Glass jars are the best as the vinegar will break down the plastic and will react with metal. Other vinegars can be used in place of apple cider vinegar. White vinegar (5%), rice vinegar are some of the popular alternatives. Red or white wine vinegar, even mixing two vinegars is also common to add your own flavour spin on pickled onions. Be sure to use a well ventilated area to make as the pickling solution can irritate the lungs, especially for those with asthma. Granulated sugar is what we use but honey or maple syrup can also be used. If looking to add a sweetener alternative only Splenda should be used when making this recipe due to its heat stability. For more info on heat stability and sweeteners in pickling and canning see this article by Oregon State University. Garlic, bay leaves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, banana pepper rings, coriander seeds, sumac, fresh herbs like dill, rosemary, oregano, or thyme; lime or lemon slices, peppercorns, or mustard seeds can all be added into the jar for a punch of flavour. We use sea salt, pickling, or kosher salt and tend to stay away from iodized table salt as a preference in pickling. Iodised salt can make the brine cloudy, and discolour what we are pickling. You want a salt that is free from anti-caking agents. Sterilising the jars will prolong how long the pickled onions can be kept in the fridge. These directions are not suitable for home canning. If looking to can pickled onions check with the National Centre For Home Food Preparation for best practices and recipe adjustments for shelf stable storage. For the crispest pickled red onions, store in the fridge for up to 7 days. Discard if they get mouldy, change in smell, get fizzy or go cloudy. Find pickled red onions too strong of a taste or bitter? Try soaking the onions in ice water for 15 minutes then pickling or in a vinegar bath for 10 minutes then rinsing to take a bit of the strong onion-y taste away. Another option is to dip the red onions in hot water to take the strong taste out of the onions. We prefer to skip all this as we like the full onion taste in our pickled onion. Note 1-> Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person’s allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product. Note 2-> If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons. Note 3-> This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
