Key Takeaways:
- Versatile Flavor Booster: Pickled red onions add a tangy, sweet complexity that complements a variety of dishes, from tacos and curries to pizza and potato salad.
- Quick and Easy Preparation: With thinly sliced onions and a simple pickling solution, these onions are ready to enjoy in as little as 20–30 minutes.
- Health Benefits of Red Onions: Packed with nutrients like fisetin, quercetin, and anthocyanin, red onions can boost memory, concentration, and overall brain health.
- Customizable Ingredients: Use different vinegars, sweeteners, and optional spices like celery seed to tailor the flavor to your liking.
- Smart Kitchen Tip: A mandoline or adjustable food processor ensures ultra-thin slices for faster absorption of the pickling solution.
- Brain-Boosting Snack: Red onions not only enhance the taste but also support long-term memory and cognitive health, as confirmed by neuroscience research.
The tangy, sweet flavor of pickled red onions is unmatched. I love the way they add delicious complexity to any dish. Farmer Fred and I are big fans of adding them to Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, soups, salads, nachos, and chilaquiles. But their versatility doesn’t stop there; they can liven up almost any meal. Enjoy them with
Dill Pickles on a Vegan Burger.
Liven up your
- curries,
- pizza,
- falafel,
- egg salad and
- potato salad,
these quick pickled onions add a tangy, zippy flavor and pop of color.
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SIS Simple is Smart Tip:
Use a Mandoline or Food Processor with an adjustable blade to slice the red onions super thin. When they’re sliced paper thin they absorb the pickling solution faster and are ready to use within 20-30 minutes.
Neuroscience Nutrition Nugget
Onions are a staple in many cuisines, but did you know they are more than just a flavourful ingredient? Onions have a natural flavonoid called fisetin, which has been shown to improve long-term memory. And it’s not just any onion that can do the trick; red onions are better for you than white and yellow onions. These onions contain higher levels of fisetin, which can help boost your brainpower.
But that’s not all. Onions also contain quercetin and anthocyanin, which have been shown to improve concentration. So not only can onions help you remember things better, but they can also help you stay focused on the task. Researchers at Hokkaido Tokai University in Japan confirmed that red onions could also help prevent memory loss and stimulate your hippocampus.
The hippocampus is an essential component of the brain which belongs to the limbic system and is a significant role player in spatial navigation and long-term memory. So, by eating onions, you are satisfying your taste buds and doing your brain a favor. Onions are incredibly versatile and can be added to almost any dish to add flavor and nutritional value.
Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions
- Red Onions: I love the pink color of the pickled onions. If you don’t have red onions, use yellow or white onions. I’ve even used sweet onions.
- Vinegar: I use white and apple cider vinegar in this recipe. I’ve also used wine, malt, and rice vinegar for pickling.
- Sweetener: This recipe uses granulated sugar. Other sweeteners I use are honey, maple syrup, and monk fruit.
- Water: either bottled or tap
- Pickling Salt: Table salt has an anticaking additive that will cloudy the pickling solution.
- Celery Seed: optional; I love the heady flavor it adds to the pickled onions.
Four Easy Step by Step Instructions:
- Thinly slice the onions with a mandoline or food processor with an adjustable slicing blade. Adjust to the thinnest setting.
- Add the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and celery seed to a saucepan. Heat on medium for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
- Pour the pickling solution over the onions.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to using, preferably overnight.
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FAQ:
Q: Can I use onions other than red for pickling?
A: Yes, while red onions are preferred for their color and nutritional benefits, yellow, white, or sweet onions can also be used.
Q: What type of vinegar works best for pickling?
A: White vinegar and apple cider vinegar are common choices, but wine, malt, or rice vinegar can also add unique flavors.
Q: How long do I need to wait before eating pickled red onions?
A: Thinly sliced onions can be ready in 20–30 minutes, but for the best flavor, refrigerate them for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Q: Are there healthier sweetener alternatives for the recipe?
A: Absolutely! You can use honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit as alternatives to granulated sugar.
Q: Why should I avoid table salt in pickling?
A: Table salt often contains anticaking agents that can make the pickling solution cloudy. Use pickling salt for a clear brine.
Q: Do pickled red onions lose their brain-boosting nutrients during pickling?
A: No, the flavonoids like fisetin, quercetin, and anthocyanin in red onions remain intact, providing health benefits even after pickling.
Easy Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- 1 mandoline or food processor with blade for slicing.
- 1 pint mason jar with a lid
- This page contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click a link, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you
- To see the ingredient amounts in metric units, click the blue "METRIC:" button between the ingredients and the instructions for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 small red onions
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt or pickling salt
- ½ tsp celery seed
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions with a mandoline or food processor with an adjustable slicing blade. Adjust to the thinnest setting.
- Add the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and celery seed to a saucepan. Heat on medium for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
- Pour the pickling solution over the onions.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to using, preferably overnight.
