Throw these on anything and everything because there's no sodium in these easy pickled onions.
Servings: About 2 cups, depending on the size of your onion
Sodium: None
Time: 15 minutes plus at least 4-5 hours for cooling and chilling
Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, cut in 1/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup hot water (about 200 degrees F, not quite boiling)
Optional ingredients:
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
pinch of dried dill
In a heat proof container, combine all ingredients except the onions and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Use a container that holds at least 4 cups of liquid. Add onions. If there isn't enough liquid to cover the onions, add more hot water until the onions are covered in liquid. Let the onions come to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving.
TIPS:
-You don't need to measure the temperature of your water. I happen to have a hot water heater that tells me how hot my water is but you can use anything from room temperature to just barely boiling water. The hotter the water, the more the onions will cook when mixed with the pickling solution. Here's a side by side comparison. The onions in the round container were pickled with 200 degree F water. The onions in the square container in room temperature water. There's a little difference in color and flavor, but both are delicious.
This turned out pretty well for me, but I'd like less raw onion taste and a stronger vinegar taste. I followed the instructions exactly with the 200 degree water. Maybe next time I should let them sit out a day or so before putting them in the fridge? Or maybe add some additional vinegar?