Pickled Pink Onions

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Preservation

A catchy title for a simple concept and even-easier-to-prepare, near universally applicable condiment.

Pickled red onions are the near to ideal condiment: deeply flavourful, eye catching and exceedingly easy to prepare. Since becoming acquainted with this little wild cat, a jar of it lives permanently in my refrigerator. It lends visual contrast, provides 3D texture to sometimes bland looking plates and compliments a vast range of foods: burgers, omelettes, fatty oven-roasted cuts – particularly pork cutlets and belly, deep flavoured stews, etc. It is lovely in salads or salsa’s and a few rings added to roasted root veggies encourage them to really let their hair down...

Red (or purple) onions look deceptively innocuous when freshly cut and are well known for their mild flavour. This seemingly innocent mediocrity makes it’s transformation in the presence of vinegar and salt all the more amazing. The transformation (probably pH driven) starts immediately once the hot pickling liquid is added to the partially blanched onions. The deep purple transforms into a bright, vibrant, almost smoky pink within 30 minutes. The vibrancy tends to fade somewhat after 2 days but still stays vivid for weeks.

The taste transformation takes longer to fully develop, 2 – 3 days. The salt, vinegar and pickling spices turn the conservative, reserved red onion into a party animal with deep, citrusy tanginess and a complex, fruity mustard and coriander infused aromaticity while the bay leaf and orange thrums basso profundo in the background. Cider vinegar – with it’s mild, fruity taste – is preferential to white vinegar which tends to be very harsh and one dimensional in it’s taste and flavour.

The choice of pickling spice combinations are, off course, only limited by the adventurous cook’s imagination. However, be careful with adding dried chillies for an extra bite. For some unfathomable reason, vinegar is a very efficient vehicle for transferring capsaicin into the immorally complicit onions...

Pickled pink onions should be thrown out every three weeks. Cider vinegar’s acetic acid content is not sufficient to prevent spoilage indefinitely. If left undisturbed, mould colonies will eventually form on the surface. Rather prepare a new batch frequently, it’s so easy!

Recipe yields: ± 2 Cups

Preparation time: ± 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 min

Difficulty level: Very easy!

Special Equipment Required:

1 x Small stainless steel sauce pan

1 x Sealable glass container 

Ingredients:

Red onions, medium, halved & thinly sliced	2
Fresh garlic cloves, thick sliced	5
Apple cider vinegar	250ml
Lime juice	100ml
Brown sugar	80g
Salt	10ml
Dried bay leaves, medium size	3
Allspice berries	5
Black peppercorns	1.2ml
Yellow mustard seed	1.2ml
Dried coriander seed	1.2ml
Fresh orange peel, thin strips	3 - 5

Method:

1. Peel and slice the onions into approximately 5mm – 6mm thick rounds. ‘Pop out’ the individual rings from each slice.
2. Peel and cut the garlic cloves on the bias into thick slices. Put the sliced garlic aside until needed.
3. Place the onion rings in a sieve and position the sieve over the sink. Slowly pour 2 – 3 cups of boiling water over the onions and let them drain.
4. Add the sugar, salt, vinegar, and spices to a small stainless steel sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer together for 3 minutes.
5. Add the orange peel strips and garlic slices to the partially blanched onions and transfer to the storage container.
6. Fill to the top with the boiling pickling liquid. Carefully seal the container.
7. Store for 2 – 3 days in a refrigerator before use.

 

          Comments:

• The pan for the pickling liquid has to be non-reactive to avoid the end product tasting of dissolved metal, thus the requirement for stainless steel or enameled cast iron.

© RS Young, 2018

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