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Sweet-and-Sour Pickled Red Onions

Source of Recipe

From "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"If you were to plot condiments on a family tree, you'd find that these pickled red onions are the wild-child granddaughter of caramelized onion jam and the second cousin of the hot dog relish you find at the ball park. They are sophisticated, a little bit slippery, and equally at home draped across a hamburger or dolloped on a salad of baby arugula."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups apple cider vinegar
â—¦ ¾ cup granulated sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons pickling salt
â—¦ 3 pounds red onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
â—¦ 2 teaspoons mustard seed
â—¦ 1 teaspoon celery seed
â—¦ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes


Recipe

Prepare a boiling water bath and three regular-mouth pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the vinegar, 1 ½ cups water, sugar, and salt in a pot over high heat and bring the brine to a boil. Add sliced onions to brine and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and simmer briefly to soften onions.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining spices in a small bowl and stir to blend. Add the spice blend to the sterilized jars, distributing evenly.

Using tongs, evenly divide the onions between the three jars. Pour hot brine into each jar, leaving ½ inch headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.

Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let these pickles cure for at least 48 hours before eating.

Makes three 1-pint jars