I have been meaning to whip up a batch of pickled onions. Why? I don't really know. But they seem like the kind of thing that you could put on everything. And then, once you've eaten all the onions (or at least most of them), you can add whatever other vegetables you want to the brine. You can have a sort of rotating pickle jar.
I loosely followed a recipe from my new cookbook, Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon. Her recipe makes 3 pint jars of pickles, and I used a quart jar. So I roughly used 2/3 of all the measurements.
One reason I really like refrigerator pickled stuffs is it feels like you can just add whatever you like and leave out what you don't. So I used garlic, mustard seeds, a bay leaf, a dried chili, peppercorns, and dill seeds. And the onions are delicious and it's only day 3! I am thinking of adding cucumbers after I chow down half the onions. Or maybe some sliced hot peppers. I feel the possibilities are endless! (OK, maybe slightly limited in February in Maine.)
Pickled Red Onions
Adapted from Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It
One red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons canning & pickling salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 tablespoon dill seed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of your knife
1 dried chili
Thoroughly wash one quart size mason jar and matching two-part lid in hot, soapy water. Add garlic, spices, and chili to the jar. Pack in sliced onions. Pour in vinegar and water. Screw on lid and shake jar to redistribute spices and dissolve salt and sugar. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Please note that this recipe is not suitable for canning and should be kept in the refrigerator.