What kinds of vegetables can you quick-pickle?

You can quick-pickle basically any vegetable. Besides onions , the most common are pickled carrots , beets , radishes , or asparagus . Any hard vegetables are usually great pickled. There are even pickled cherry tomatoes ! I've never tried them, though, I usually stick to onions.

Do quick pickles require canning?

No. All you do is pour hot vinegar with spices over the vegetable you're pickling and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. No canning is required.

What kind of vinegar do you use for quick pickling?

Distilled white vinegar is the best and cheapest option. It doesn't alter the taste or color of the pickles. However, I like to add different kinds of vinegar to give my pickles more flavor. My favorite is a combination of champagne vinegar and sherry vinegar.

Do I have to add a sweetener in quick pickles?

No. It doesn't help the pickling process in any way, it's there only for flavor, to cut the acidity a little bit.

How long do pickled onions last?

Quick pickles don't last as long as regular pickles would. Quick pickled onions are best eaten within one week but can last for up to two weeks in the fridge. Other quick pickles usually last up to two months but onions only two weeks.

How do you know they've gone bad?

The onions should still have a slight bite to them, they shouldn't be too mushy. They shouldn't be slimy.

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Description

These pickled onions are a delicious addition to so many different dishes. No canning involved, ready in as little as 30 mins.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 medium red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup champagne vinegar*
1/4 cup sherry vinegar*
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)**
1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)***
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)***

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Instructions

Start by peeling and slicing your onions. I like to slice them very thin but it’s up to you, if you have thicker slices, they will have a nice crunch.
Slice your onion in half and thinly slice them vertically not horizontally, this will give you shorter pieces. I like to cut out the middle part to avoid having big chunks of pickle but this is optional. See post for photos.
Tightly pack the sliced onions into a 2 cup heat proof mason jar and set aside.
Add the water, champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, maple syrup, sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, take it off the heat and pour it over the onion to the top.
Some of the onions might stick out, use a spoon to gently push them down to get them into the liquid, careful not to spill over, it’s very hot. The onions will shrink and wilt down a little as they sit so don’t stress it if some are sticking out too much.
Let the onions sit in the liquid on the counter until they’ve cooled down or for at least 30 mins.
Once completely cool, cover with a tight lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

* You can use any vinegar you have on hand. I’m using champagne and sherry to give the pickles more flavor but you can use apple, white wine, red wine, rice vinegar, or white vinegar.

** The sweetener is optional in this recipe, it won’t affect how the onion pickles. You can use any liquid or granulated sweetener you like. I’d stay away from stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol as those will change the flavor.

*** You can add less or more, or skip the added flavors all together. Coriander seeds are also a great addition.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 14
Sugar: 1.4 g
Sodium: 118.5 mg
Fat: 0.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 2.7 g
Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 0.3 g