Cookin' & Cussin'

Pickled Red Onions

Warmer weather is comiiiiiing & it makes me ready to paaaaarty! ((name that movie))

We threw a “Derby de Mayo” themed Kentucky Derby party back on May 6. Since Cinco de Mayo was the night before, we thought the theme would be SUPER fun! I mean really, who doesn’t love Mexican food?? I thought so.

Chris & I discussed the menu – I wanted the two themes to be so intricately intermingled and that meant the food as well! We made Bourbon Margaritas by Ragged Branch ((umm heyooo that def includes both holidays!)) and a Kentucky classic : Mint Juleps. I wanted Queso, Avocado Crema & Deviled Eggs for the appetizer – yep, there I go again with my bullshit about deviled eggs. Chris was irritated. I said it was a necessity to tie both holidays together. Whatever, it worked.

make them yoself!

We decided to do tacos for the main event – we did Fish Tacos & Crockpot Pork Carnitas with allllllll the fixins. I wanted shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado crema, shredded lettuce & a fancy crunch of pickled red onions. Which leads me to the point of this blog entry : PICKLED RED ONIONS. I didn’t realize they are such a delicacy. I also didn’t realize there are so many damn fools in the world who don’t know how to make them?! All it takes is a few pantry ingredients, a red onion & some damn patience?! Who woulda known.

What truly fired me up to want to make this a blog recipe is when I saw them for sale at the grocery store. I’m still not sure exactly why but it pissed me off big time. I mean really, this jar of pickled red onions was the size of an olive jar for $8.99 – GET OUTTA HERE.

What the fuck is wrong with people?? I realize patience is a virtue ((you have to wait at least 5 days for them to soften & actually pickle)) but GOOD LAWD you wouldn’t catch me paying $8.99 for shit I can make in my kitchen for half that price & no weird ingredients or preservatives!

pickling is life.

I swear people, y’all need to get your shit together. I’m fully scolding now. We as a human race need to put that pickled red onion brand out of business. It’s shameful! You’ll wanna keep these ON HAND in your fridge for the entire summer because they are SO tasty & this recipe is SO easy!

I remember as a young girl my Mamaw would make pickled eggs, homemade pickles, pickled corn ((still a favorite of mine to this day!)) and her specialty was pickled watermelon rind. She would have a whole damn plate full of pickled food & other items fresh from her garden with a pot of pinto beans simmering on the stove and cornbread browning in the oven.

Pickling food was a way of Southern life. Watching her can & pickle items definitely gave me a palate to appreciate the work and love that goes into this process so it really pains me to see food at the store for sale like you couldn’t EVER just make it at home – ESPECIALLY when it’s as easy as this recipe!

Truly, I made these to go as a topper on our tacos – boy, were they delicious & it was a hit! The zing of the vinegars & the sweet, slight crunch of the slivered red onion is a welcome bite to go on top of ANY taco – let’s get to it!

Ingredients

· 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

· 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

· 3/4 cup water

· 1 TSP table salt

· 1 TBS sugar

· 1 TBS whole peppercorns

· 1 medium red onion, sliced thin

· 1 wide-mouth mason jar

Instructions

Measure out all ingredients and pour into a small pot ((preferably one with a lip or spout!))

Turn the burner on medium-low and stir until the salt & sugar dissolves.

Allow to slowly simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While your pickling concoction is bubbling away, slice the red onion thinly – I don’t like SLIVERS but I like a nice thin slice. The pickling liquid will soften & shrink the slices a bit anyway.

Transfer all your onion slices to a wide-mouth mason jar – the wide-mouth makes it easier while pouring in the pickling liquid & reduces splashing.

No need for lots of room – pack as many suckers in there as you can! I really like to cut & stuff in the whole damn onion if possible!

Once your pickling liquid has reached an easy bubble, turn off the heat & give a final stir.

Carefully pour the ENTIRETY of the contents of your pot directly into the mason jar that’s holding your red onions – no need for straining!

Allow to cool on the countertop for about an hour with the lid off.

Cover & place in the fridge for at least 5 days.

TAAA DAAAA your pickled red onions are ON THEIR WAY.

pickle this.

Pickled Red Onions are such a welcome treat & recognizable delight for soooo many things! I love to throw mine on top of a fish taco ((OMG YUM)) to contrast with lemony tartar sauce & creamy avocado. Pickled Red Onions add a nice finishing touch to a stacked sandwich or stellar salad as well – the possibilities are literally endless!

I’ve read many recipes to pickle onions….some say to use pearl onions, some say to use plain white vinegar, ((blech)) and I’ve seen some with intricate pickling spices which is fine, but that seems to require quite a bit more work & planning – which aint the point. I wanted to prove to everyone that pickling onions can be quick-quick & easy!

My personal favorite is the use of 2 different vinegars to lend other flavor profiles. Red Onions can have quite a sharp bite so I like the Apple Cider Vinegar to sweeten them up & the Red Wine Vinegar to smooth it out. Trust me, the combo works! I also included pictures that show the onions 2 weeks worth of pickling – the difference is noticeable!

What do you think you’ll use these Pickled Red Onions for?