Quick-Pickled Red Onions with Cilantro and Jalapeno
With their bright pink hue, delightful crunch, and vibrant flavor, these pickled onions are the perfect add-on to tacos, sandwiches, salads, soups, and just about anything else you can imagine. The recipe comes together with minimal time and effort, and the onions keep in the refrigerator for up to six months, (if they last that long) making them a terrific DIY gift! (Photo source: Jared Kent)
| Yield: 1 quart | Time: 45 minutes |
Ingredients
2 pounds red onions (about 4 onions)
1 jalapeno, sliced into rings as thinly as possible
1 bunch of cilantro stems, cut into quarters
6 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 ½ cups red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Preparation
To slice the onions, cut off the stem and root ends and peel off the paper. Cut the onions in half length-wise so that you have two half-moon shapes with each onion. Then slice the onions into strips, about ¼ inch thick. Place the onions into a colander and gently rinse with cold water.
Place the onions, jalapeno, cilantro stems, peppercorns, and coriander seeds into one clean, quart-sized plastic container or mason jar.
In a medium-sized pot, bring the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and salt to a boil to create the pickling solution. Stir it once or twice to ensure all the salt and sugar has dissolved.
Pour the hot solution over the onions in the container, leaving ½ inch of empty space at the top of the container. Press the onions down so they all soak in the solution.
Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before sealing the container and placing in the refrigerator. The pickled onions will keep up to 6 months in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Note: If you wish, you could also use this recipe to can these onions in two sterilized mason jars, prepare the brine the same way and process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. They will keep indefinitely in a sealed jar at room temperature, just be sure to follow proper canning guidelines to ensure food safety.
Zero-waste tips
• Save the peels from the onions and put in a bag to make vegetable stock with.
• Save the cilantro leaves to put on salads, in guacamole, or anywhere else you would use cilantro.