Pickled Red Onions

On burgers, sandwiches, salads...pickled onions add a tartness and subtle crunch! You can play around with seasonings, but here's the basics.

Ingredients

2 red onions

1 C vinegar (white or apple cider typically)

1 T sugar (white or brown)

1 T salt

Optional seasonings (NOT all at once): 2-3 T lime juice, ¼ C orange juice, 1-2 garlic cloves, half a dozen black peppercorns, half a dozen allspice berries or cloves, a bay leaf or two, a few sprigs of thyme, a slice or two of lemon...

Directions

Slice the onions as thin as you can. Fill glass jars or any other heat-proof containers if you'll be using your pickled onions in a week or two with sliced onions. (If you plan to keep your onions longer than 2-3 weeks, use sterile canning jars to seal them air-tight.)

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt other seasonings in a saucepan; heat to boiling. Pour over pickled onions.

You can serve them as soon as they cool, but the longer they soak, the more pickled they get. Store in the refrigerator 2-3 weeks.

Quick-pickled Strawberries

Saw pickled strawberries as a salad topper recently - something I'd never had or even heard of before. But I'm a fan of most things pickled! The amounts below are approximate; adjust to suit your taste (and relative sweetness of strawberries, etc.). Great on green salads...

Ingredients
1 lb strawberries
1-2 C white balsamic vinegar
¾-1 C water
½ C sugar
1 T salt

Directions
Hull strawberries; halve or quarter depending on size. Place strawberries in canning jar (or other container if you'll use them fairly soon...this is a "quick" pickle). Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in saucepan; heat, stirring, until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over strawberries. Let cool; cover and chill.

Here's a bonus...

This is a quick pickle. Leave the berries in too long, and they won't taste of strawberry anymore, just...pickley (vinegar). They only need to be in the brine until it cools. BUT...don't waste that brine! It's basically the same ingredients as a shrub (maybe add a bit more sugar). Pour an inch or more into the bottom of glass and top it off with seltzer (or prosecco, or gingerale, 7-Up, etc.) for a tart and refreshing beverage!

Watermelon Rind Pickles

I grew up attending a small, conservative, evangelical, community church where we regularly had old fashioned potluck suppers in the 'fellowship hall' (making me something of a connoisseur of noodle casseroles by the time I was ten). I don't remember who, if I never knew, but someone there would often bring watermelon rind pickles.

Ingredients
4 C watermelon rind, pink flesh and dark green outer skim trimmed off
8 C water
2 T, and 2 tsp salt, divided
2 C sugar
1¼ C apple cider vinegar
8 cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp mustard seed
¼ tsp dill
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ginger

Directions
Place rinds, water and 2 T salt in large saucepan; boil for 5 minutes. Strain and place rinds in a clean bowl.

Combine remaining 2 tsp salt and all other ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over rinds; cover with plate or plastic wrap to keep rinds submerged. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

I taste tested at this point. I love pickled things, even fairly strong pickle flavor and these tasted great even after ONE brining. Unless you like it really strong, once may be plenty. But the recipe says to...

Return brine to saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour again over rinds; chill 8 hours or overnight.

Pickled Peppers

Good on sandwiches and salads...

Ingredients:
4 C peppers (or chiles)
1½ C vinegar (white or apple cider)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T black peppercorns
2 T kosher/coarse salt
4 T sugar
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp coriander seed

Directions:
Slice peppers into thin rings; pack into a 1 quart jar (or 2 pint jars).
Bring vinegar, 1 cup water, and remaining ingredients to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour hot brine over pickles; seal jars.
Let cool, then refrigerate.

Pickled Beets (spiced)

Ingredients:
1 lb beets
¼ C sugar
½ tsp pickling salt
2/3 C apple cider vinegar
1+ tsp whole cloves
1 3" cinnamon stick

Directions:
Wash, trim and large dice beets.

Combine remaining ingredients and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to simmer and add beets, cooking until fork tender.

Beets should be stored in the pickling brine - refrigerate in a covered container to serve within a week or two; can in sterilized containers for longer storage.