Homemade Pickled Onions

Pickled onions are a really versatile condiment and so easy to make. All you need are a few basic ingredients. These sweet-sour, tangy onions can be added to almost anything. Use them as part of your favourite sandwich filling or enjoy with avocado on toast. It’s delicious with any egg dish and perfect as a condiment on a burger or pizza. Make them part of the filling for a wrap or pita bread and it’s so good with falafel or any cold meat of your choice. Bowl food, like buddha and poke bowls, are very popular these days and the colour and texture of pickled onions are great to add to these ‘fresh’ bowls of food.

Many people love the taste and texture of raw onion in a salad, but it can repeat on you quite a bit and give you an oniony taste in your mouth, even till the next day. The fact that these onions are pickled, means that they will just add the deliciousness, without ‘bothering’ you later.

Take your favourite green salad to the next level by adding some pickled onions. They are perfect for a potato salad or stir a spoonful or two into a tub of cottage cheese or some yoghurt for a quick and easy dip or spread. The onions complement Mexican flavours very well and are a great flavour partner to beans, lentils and other legumes. As you can see, having a jar of these in your fridge, can really be a game changer with many a meal.

Homemade pickled red onions

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Makes 500 ml

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

8-10 whole black peppercorns

2,5 ml (½ tsp) mustard seeds

3-4 sprigs of fresh dill (optional)

90 ml (6 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

7,5 ml (½ tbsp) white sugar

2,5 ml (½ tsp) salt

180 ml (¾ cup) water

1. Arrange onion slices with the peppercorns, mustard seeds and dill in layers in a sterilised medium-sized glass jar.
2. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt and water together in a small saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to just below boiling point and allow to simmer gently for a few minutes.
3. Pour the warm liquid over the onions, until they are covered. Seal the jar and allow onions to cool down.
4. Refrigerate once cooled completely. The onions can be enjoyed immediately, but they will have an even better flavour after a day of pickling. The onions will last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Over time they may lose a bit of colour, but they will still taste great.

Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.