I needed a couple of red onions the other but when I went to the store to get them, I noticed a giant bag of them was cheaper than a small bag. So of course, I grabbed the bigger one. I am a sucker for a deal. However, after taking out the two I needed, I looked down at the bag and wondered what to do with the rest. I don’t have a cellar, or really a cool dark place to put them. So I looked at some recipes online and found some interesting ones for pickled red onions. It seemed easy enough so I made them. (I cried my way through it.)
Turns out, my children loved them. We made burgers and I thought it would be yummy to try the onions on them. My middle child is the world’s pickiest eater and she was gobbling them up with a fork. Even my toddler was eating them like popcorn. Of course, I made them again. And again, my children ate them incredibly quickly. Who knew?
Finding a healthy (and inexpensive) food that my children like, is always a win. Red onions are very good for you and loaded with antioxidants. In fact, red onions contain at least 17 types of flavonoids. They also contain anthocyanins, plant pigments in the flavonoid family that give red onions their deep colour. Some experts say they may protect against diabetes and certain types of cancer. Also, studies suggest eating onions may help reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation.
I had no idea red onions are such a super food.
Love and Lemons is an online food blog with a ton of good recipes. I found an easy one for pickled red onions there.
Ingredients:
2 small red onions
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
⅓ cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt
Instructions:
Thinly slice the onions (it's helpful to use a mandoline), and divide the onions between 2 (16-ounce) jars.
Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool and pour over the onions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the onions in the fridge.
Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
