Paraben Free Pickled Red Onions
Tangy, jewel-bright, and endlessly versatile, these pickled red onions are the kind of condiment that quietly upgrades everything they touch — tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, cheese boards, you name it. The brine is built from apple cider vinegar, honey, and fine sea salt, with fresh ginger and optional garlic adding a gentle warmth that store-bought versions rarely bother with. What makes this recipe especially appealing is how clean and straightforward every ingredient is — no preservatives, no synthetic additives, just real pantry staples you can actually read and recognize. Many commercial pickled products sneak in stabilizers or artificial flavorings that can be hard to track down on a label, so making your own puts you fully in control. The process is simple: heat the brine, pour it over tightly packed onion slices, and let time do the rest. Within about thirty minutes in the fridge, the onions turn a stunning magenta and develop that signature tangy bite. Keep a jar on hand and you'll find yourself reaching for it 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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