Description
Mary Berry’s Pickled Onions showcase British culinary tradition with tangy, crisp small onions perfectly preserved in a classic vinegar brine. Homemade preservation brings delightful zest to cheese boards, sandwiches, and cold cuts, offering you a simple yet sophisticated condiment that elevates any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 small red onions
Pickling Liquid:
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) white vinegar
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) water
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sea salt
Optional Flavor Enhancers:
- Optional: garlic
- Optional: peppercorns
Instructions
- Carefully slice red onions into whisper-thin rounds using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer, ensuring uniform thickness for consistent pickling.
- Distribute the delicate onion slices evenly between clean glass containers, creating layers that will absorb the tangy brine.
- Combine white vinegar, filtered water, granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan, heating the mixture over medium temperature until sugar and salt completely dissolve, approximately 45-60 seconds.
- Remove the brine from heat and allow it to cool slightly, preventing potential wilting of the onion slices.
- Gently pour the warm brine over the prepared onion slices, ensuring they are completely submerged in the liquid.
- Let the jars settle at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, allowing the onions to soften and absorb the vibrant pickling liquid.
- Seal the containers and transfer to the refrigerator, where the onions will transform into a bright pink, tender condiment within 1-2 hours for ultra-thin slices or overnight for thicker cuts.
- Consume the pickled onions within 10-14 days for optimal flavor and crispness, storing them in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Notes
- Enhance the flavor profile by gently crushing whole peppercorns and mixing them with caramelized onions for a subtle aromatic twist.
- Experiment with vinegar combinations to create unique taste dimensions, blending white wine vinegar with delicate rice vinegar or combining crisp apple cider vinegar with classic white vinegar.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 40 kcal
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 0.4 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg