Nitrate & Nitrite Free Pickled Red Onions
Bright, tangy, and almost shockingly pretty, these pickled red onions are the kind of condiment that makes everything they touch taste more alive. Store-bought pickled onions and many commercial condiments sneak in preservatives that people avoiding nitrates and nitrites have to watch out for — making a homemade batch like this one a genuinely smart move. The brine here is beautifully simple: apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and sea salt, warmed just enough to dissolve everything together before being poured over tightly packed onion slices. Fresh grated ginger and a sliver of garlic round out the flavor with a little warmth and depth that no jar from the grocery store aisle can really replicate. Within about an hour in the fridge, the onions turn a vivid fuchsia and soften into something silky and tangy all the way through. Pile them onto tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, or grilled proteins — honestly, once you have a jar of these in your fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for them constantly.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion tightly into a clean 16 oz glass jar.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and fine sea salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey and salt are fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.
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