Pickled Purple Onions

Onion Regret: [Verb] An emotional state after a person has consumed raw onions because onions are delicious, only to realize hours and sometimes days later that the onions linger in taste and smell.

I know I am not the only one who has experienced onion regret! Can I get a witness? Salads are a huge part of my diet. I like to pile them high with fresh veggies. Onions add a dynamic of flavor that I love, but do not want to taste after my meal. Further more, I talk to teachers and students all day long. Sometimes reading books in close proximity. Do you remember growing up and having THAT teacher? The one who was associated with a certain odor? Yikes! I cannot be the lady remembered for onion breath after lunch.

Pickled purple onions are a favorite recipe of mine because they pack the flavor without the regret. This recipe is truly simple. I keep them in my fridge as a constant staple ready to top salads, throw in eggs [Jonathan loves eggs, I cannot eat them], or mix with avocado for a zippy guacamole.

Ingredients

• 1 purple onion
• 1 mason jar – 12 oz – wide mouth is easiest to work with
• 6 oz apple cider vinegar
• 2 oz water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)

Directions

Slice a purple onion into bite sized pieces. I am careful to make them small enough to fit on a fork, but not so small they are annoying to fish out of the jar.

Add about 6 oz of apple cider vinegar to the mason jar. The ratio is about 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water. I rarely measure this because you can eyeball it in the jar. If you love vinegar, fill up the jar and forget the water. If vinegar isn’t your favorite, reduce the vinegar to 4 oz and fill the rest of the jar with water.

Add the salt and honey to finish. Put the lid on tight and turn the jar upside down a couple of times to mix. Refrigerate and eat all week. These onions would be good after a couple of hours, but are truly delicious after 12 hours.

Depending on the size of your family you might want to double the recipe. Jonathan and I only use 1 – 12 oz jar each week. The onions are good in the fridge for about 7-10 days. If they begin to discolor or turn brown toss them out. Fair warning, your jar will start to smell like onions. When you are ready for a new batch, wash the same jar and continue to reuse it for onions only. This will keep your whole collection of mason jars from smelling like onions, saving you from even more onion regret!