Affordable, quick and tasty ways to make pickled onions for barbecue, herring and salad

In tsarist Russia, pickled onions were served as an appetizer "to whet the appetite." Now it is used as a side dish, snack, ingredient for salads and sandwiches. This simple and tasty dish is suitable for both everyday and festive tables.

Selection and preparation of onions for pickling

This vegetable is usually marinated in small jars of no more than 500 ml, so either take small onions and cut them into rings, or cut a large onion into halves or quarters, leaving the bottom uncut, so the onion does not disintegrate and marinates evenly. Vegetables are taken clean, without mechanical damage and rotten areas.

How to make pickled onions - a classic recipe

This recipe doesn't require many ingredients:

• onions - 1 pc .;
• table vinegar 9% - 10 ml;
• water - 10 ml;
• salt - 1.5 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

Vegetables are peeled, washed and cut into thin rings or in half rings, put in a glass jar with a volume of 500 ml and mixed with salt, water and vinegar. Then the jar is closed with a lid and shaken several times to better mix the ingredients. After 15 minutes, the finished appetizer is served.

Other recipe variations

There are recipes with different types of vinegar, herbs and spices that are added to taste.

With grape vinegar

The delicate aftertaste and piquant aroma of grape vinegar goes well with young onions.

Ingredients:

• small or medium onions - 1.5 kg;
• grape vinegar - 200 g;
• salt and sugar - 50 g each;
• 1 liter of water.

Preparation:

Vegetables are peeled and washed. Small onions are marinated whole, medium ones are cut into thin rings, dipped in boiling water and boiled for 3-5 minutes. The vegetables dried on a napkin are laid out in clean dry jars, poured with boiled marinade from water, vinegar, sugar and salt.

The jars are covered with lids and sterilized for 10 minutes from the moment of boiling, for this they are placed in a saucepan of hot water on a napkin. After sterilization, the jars are rolled up with lids, placed upside down on a blanket, covered with a blanket and cooled at room temperature. Store in a cool place.

With apple cider vinegar

This dish cooks very quickly, after 30 minutes it can be served.

Ingredients:

• red or white onions - 3 pcs.;
• apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 0.3 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Peeled and washed vegetables are cut into thin half rings or rings, gently crumpled with a fork or hands, add vinegar, salt and sugar and mix.
2. When the onion releases juice, mix it again - after 15 minutes the pickled onion is ready.
3. Finely chopped herbs can be added to the finished dish to taste.

With sugar and vinegar

You can't do without salt in the recipe, but put very little of it to reveal the taste of the onion.

Ingredients:

• medium onions - 3 pcs.;
• vinegar 9% - 7 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 3 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 0.5 tbsp. l .;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• water - 250 ml.

Preparation:

Mix water, salt, sugar, pepper and vinegar in a deep container until the salt and sugar dissolve. Peeled, washed and chopped onions are spread into the marinade and mixed again. The container is covered with a lid or foil and placed in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, the snack is ready.

With dill

Spicy herbs will make the dish more appetizing.

Ingredients:

• medium onion - 1 pc .;
• vinegar 9% - 3 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 0.25 tbsp. l .;
• dill - 1 bunch;
• water - 100 ml.

Preparation:

The vegetables are peeled, washed and cut into thin rings, the dill is washed, dried with a napkin and chopped. Onions and herbs are spread in a marinade of water, sugar, salt and vinegar, mixed, covered with a lid and placed in a cool place. After half an hour, the onion with dill is ready.

With beets

It turns out a bright and appetizing dish, especially if you sprinkle it with fresh herbs before serving.

Ingredients:

• medium onion - 500 g;
• beets - 2 pcs.;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 3 tbsp. l .;
• vinegar 9% - 4 tbsp. l .;
• water - 2 glasses.

Preparation:

1. The boiled beets are cleaned, finely grated and poured with warm water for 30 minutes.
2. The water, colored pink, is drained, salt, sugar and vinegar are added to it and stirred until the salt and sugar dissolve.
3. Peeled, washed and chopped onions are put in the beet marinade. Cover the container and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Before serving, the rings are removed from the marinade and sprinkled with chopped herbs.

In the marinade in the refrigerator, the appetizer is stored for 7-10 days.

Read also:

High-yielding Shetana onion for long-term storage.

Harvesting and storing onions: when it's time to dig from the garden.

How to properly water onions in the open field and in the greenhouse.

With butter

The oil with the spices dissolved in it will make the onion softer.

Ingredients:

• medium onion - 4 pcs.;
• vegetable oil - three quarters of a glass;
• vinegar - 0.25 tbsp.;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 0.5 tsp;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

Peeled and washed onions are cut into thin rings and poured first with boiling water, then with cold water and placed in a clean, dry 500 ml jar. The oil, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper are mixed until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Pour the onion with the marinade, mix thoroughly and leave in the cold for an hour. You can keep the snack in the refrigerator until the next day.

In lemon juice

With lemon juice and white pepper, the dish will turn out to be especially aromatic and not too hot, because white pepper is not as hot as black pepper.

Ingredients:

• large onion - 1 pc.;
• lemon - 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1 tsp;
• salt - 0.5 tsp;
• ground white pepper - to taste;
• water - 50 ml.

Preparation:

Vegetables are peeled, washed, cut into thin half rings and seasoned with pepper. Warm water is mixed with salt, sugar, butter, lemon juice and a pinch of lemon peel. The resulting marinade is mixed with onions and peppers, covered and left to marinate in a cool place. After half an hour, the onions can be served to the table.

With hot marinade

In that recipe it is better not to use red onions, they will lose their color.

Ingredients:

• onions - 3 pcs.;
• vinegar 9% - 3 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 1.5 tbsp. l .;
• salt - 0.5 tbsp. l .;
• water - 1 tbsp.;

Preparation:

The vegetables are peeled, washed, cut into thin rings and placed in a clean, dry 500 ml jar. Salt, sugar and vinegar are added to boiling water, the onion is poured with hot marinade and covered with a lid. Cool the onion at room temperature, then put it in the refrigerator for storage. After cooling, you can serve it to the table.

With cold marinade

Rice vinegar tastes softer than usual and less acidic.

Ingredients:

• large onion - 1 pc.;
• fine salt - 1 tsp;
• sugar - 1 tsp. without a slide;
• dill or other herbs to taste. - 1 bundle;
• rice vinegar - 1 tbsp l.

Preparation:

Cut the peeled washed vegetables into small half rings, mix with salt, sugar and vinegar and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

Attention! Rice vinegar can be substituted with one teaspoon of 9% table vinegar diluted 1: 1 with water.

Put the prepared onion on a plate and sprinkle with finely chopped herbs.

In mustard

This recipe uses whole onions.

Ingredients for a 500 ml jar:

• small onions - 1 kg;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 5 tbsp. l .;
• bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.;
• mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp;
• black allspice - 2-3 peas;
• vinegar - 150 g;
• water - 500 ml.

Preparation:

The top husks are carefully removed from the bulbs, washed and placed in clean dry jars of 250-500 ml. Mustard seeds are placed on the bottom of the cans.

Important! If you add powdered mustard, the marinade will be cloudy.

Add salt, sugar, bay leaves to boiling water, boil for 1-2 minutes and pour onions. Jars are closed with lids, cooled at room temperature and removed to marinate in the refrigerator for a week. Such onions are stored for 7-10 days.

For long-term storage, jars with onions are sterilized for 5-7 minutes, for this they are placed in a pan with hot water on a napkin. After sterilization, the jars are rolled up with lids, placed upside down on a blanket, covered with a blanket and cooled at room temperature. Store in a cool place.

How and where to use pickled onions

Marinated onion is good in combination with fried and baked meat, kebabs, liver as a side dish. Cut the salted herring into pieces, put pickled onions on top and season a little with vegetable oil.

Onions are added to hearty salads with meat, eggs, cheese, seafood and vegetable salads and vinaigrette. Sandwiches with smoked meat or fish and pickled onions will decorate even a festive table.

Terms and conditions of storage

The storage times and conditions depend on the way the vegetables were pickled. If the onions are completely submerged in the marinade, they can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for 7 to 10 days. Winter blanks are stored for several months. Instant onions with spices and oil or vinegar are cooked one time and immediately served.

Helpful advice from experienced housewives

Each dish has its own subtleties of preparation, and pickled onions too, despite the simplicity of the recipe.

1. To diversify the taste of pickled onions, spices can be added to the marinade to taste: coriander, allspice, cloves, and others.
2. You can diversify the taste of the dish using different types of vinegar: wine, rice, balsamic, apple.
3. To remove the bitterness, but leave the onion crisp, it is quickly poured over with boiling water, and then immediately with ice water.
4. You can use a combination of white grape and balsamic vinegars in the marinade.

Conclusion

Knowing how to cook and properly pickle onions for a delicious side dish will significantly expand and diversify your menu. The base of the marinade is water or oil, salt, sugar and vinegar or lemon juice. Various condiments and herbs are added to taste. Homemade preparations for the winter are sterilized, rolled up with lids and stored in the refrigerator.