Pickled Sweet Onions

pickled sweet onions
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I love onions in all their forms, and the only thing I like better on a burger than caramelized onions is sweet pickled onions. Here is my recipe for a zingy sweet-and-sour onion that has a hit of ginger and either lemon verbena (tastes like lemon in a leaf) or regular mint.

You’ll get the best results for this recipe by using sweet onions, either red or yellow. Vidalia, Stockton sweets, Walla Walla or Maui sweets are all good choices. They are usually available in springtime. Of course you can use regular onions, too, just up the sugar a little.

Use these onions in sandwiches, as part of a pickle plate, with fatty things like confit or pate or rillettes, or just on toast. This is the ideal burger or hot dog onion, in my opinion.

Makes 4 quarts (can be halved or doubled)

  • 4 pounds sweet onions
  • 4 cups red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups distilled vinegar
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar or honey
  • 8 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 inches of peeled fresh ginger, sliced
  • 4 tablespoons dried mint or lemon verbena

 

  1. Slice the onions as you wish: I like thickish strips as long as my thumb, but you could dice the onion or make big half-moons. Your choice.
  2. Get your canning jars and big pot of water ready. Remember you will need to keep the jars off the bottom of the canning pot — I use a vegetable steamer, but a layer of old canning rims works fine.
  3. Also remember you will need clean, unused canning lids. You can reuse the rims, but the lids themselves only give a proper seal once.
  4. In another large pot, bring all the ingredients to a simmer and hold it there until the onions wilt, about 10 minutes.
  5. Pour into quart jars, being sure to leave the headspace marked by the line on the top of each jar.
  6. Wipe off the jars and put the lids and rims on tight.
  7. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
  8. Unopened, these pickles should last a year. Refrigerate after opening.

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