I hope that all of you are enjoying your summer and spending lots of time grilling outdoors. Pickling red onions is really simple and doesn’t take that much time. You don’t have to store them for weeks before they are ready for consumption-in fact, they can be eaten right away. I love watching the onions turn from deep purple to a bright pink.
Next time you go to bbq at your friends house, instead of bringing the usual 6-pack or burger buns, I suggest you bring over some pickled red onions. They make the perfect hostess gift for any occasion. I prefer keeping them in these clamp jars, especially if you are bringing them to an outdoor event. Although mason jars look nice, I think it’s easier to get in and out of these jars rather than dealing with a mason jar’s multi-part lid.
I have been playing around with the vinegar-to-sugar ratio because I prefer my onions a little more on the tart side. If you do like them sweeter, feel free to add more sugar.
How to pickle red onions:
Thinly slice two large red onions. Set aside.
Combine 1 1/2” cups vinegar, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 dried chilies, 10 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves.
Bring mixture to a boil in a large, flat pot.When mixture is boiling, add onion slices and reduce heat, simmering onions for about a minute. Move onions around and make sure they are evenly cooked. When onions are a bright pink color, remove pan from heat and let cool completely.
There are lots of uses for pickled red onions. You can eat them on simple steak tacos: grill steaks, slice up, serve on corn tortillas. You can also put them on top of your burgers. I like the combination of savory red meat with the like tartness and texture of the onions. Or, if you don’t eat red meat (silly decision) they work nicely with grilled fish tacos.
Happy Cooking!
Ten for Two 
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