BHA & BHT Free Quick Apple Cider Pickled Onions
Tangy, jewel-pink, and ready to brighten up just about anything on your plate, these pickled onions are the kind of condiment that earns a permanent spot in your fridge. Store-bought pickled vegetables often sneak in preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, but this homemade version keeps things completely clean with nothing but whole, recognizable ingredients. Apple cider vinegar brings a mellow, fruity acidity, while fresh ginger and a pinch of turmeric add a subtle warmth that makes the brine genuinely interesting. A spoonful of honey rounds out the sharpness just enough so the onions taste balanced rather than puckering. The process is almost effortless — a quick warm brine, a pour, and a little patience while they cool and chill. Within 30 minutes they're already tender and deeply pink, though leaving them overnight makes the flavor even more complex and mellow. Pile them onto tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, or grilled proteins and watch them disappear fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced into rings
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion rings into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing them down gently so they fit snugly.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, honey, fine sea salt, grated ginger, and turmeric 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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