Have you heard of pickled red onions? There’s a viral video on YouTube of a guy making these unbelievable pickled red onions and then tells us that they’re amazing on a peanut butter sandwich. 😮
Seriously!?
At first thought, it sounded crazy, but then we tried it.
Wow! We were hooked. And what’s more is that we turned the recipe into lacto-fermented red onions that are truly mouth-watering. You’ll definitely want to make a batch of these and keep them in your fridge! They’re that good!
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How to Make Pickled vs. Lacto-Fermented Red Onions
Oh the great debate! It’s actually very simple to make either. So what’s the difference between pickling versus lacto-fermentation?
When you hear about “pickles” it’s normally in reference to something that’s been soaking in vinegar and salt for a time to turn the contents of the jar sour and preserve it. This makes it shelf-stable but it’s also a dead product. It’s still very tasty though.
Lacto-fermentation on the other hand is where something is been submerged in a salt brine allowing the naturally present bacteria and yeast to multiply, consume the sugars, and then release lactic and acetic acids which preserve the contents of the jar.
Quick pickling onions with vinegar is super simple to do. You simply create a mixture half and half with water and vinegar, sprinkle some salt to taste, bring it to a boil and then pour it over what you want pickled and let it soak in a jar. It kills everything and drops the pH enough to preserve it. You get tasty pickled onions in a matter of minutes to hours.
On the other hand with lacto-fermentation, we need to mix up a salt brine using non-chlorinated water so we don’t harm our bacteria and yeast, pour that over what we want to ferment, and then we might have to wait about a week. It takes longer but as you’ll see, the taste is night and day different. It’s up to you as to what flavor you like, but there’s no question that in lact0-fermentation you end up with a living product full of probiotics.
Quick Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Makes ~ 1 quart
These tangy and colorful red onions pack a huge flavor punch and will liven up any meal as a condiment. Amazing flavor in only minutes!
Equipment:
- 1 quart Mason Jar or Weck Jar
- Wide-mouth leak-proof mason jar lids – for shaking up the jar without leaking
- Fermentation weight <– We love these!
- Fermentation lid <– These silicone lids work well for us
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion, medium to large
- ~ 1 cup water
- ~ 1 cup distilled white vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
- ~ 2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
Slice red onions into thin slices and fill your jar leaving a little space at the top.
Bring your water, vinegar, and salt to a boil in a pot.
Pour your hot liquid over the onions, push them below the water level, and let sit on counter to cool. Once it’s just warm, you can cover with a lid and transfer to the refrigerator.
These pickled onions will get more flavorful as they steep in the fridge but they’re ready to eat at any time!
Lacto-Fermented Red Onions Recipe
Makes ~ 1 quart
These fermented red onions make an incredible condiment on just about any meal and are packed with probiotics! They add a beautiful color and a pleasant pungent flavor.
Equipment:
- 1 quart Mason Jar or Weck Jar
- Wide-mouth leak-proof mason jar lids – for shaking up the jar without leaking
- Fermentation weight <– We love these!
- Fermentation lid <– These silicone lids work well for us
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion, medium to large
- Salt brine ratio – 2 tsp sea salt to 1 cup non-chlorinated water
Slice red onions into thin slices and fill your jar leaving about an inch or so of space at the top.
Mix your salt water brine in the ratio of water to salt you enjoy and pour over your red onions.
Add a fermentation weight to weigh down your onions below the brine level to prevent mold.
Cover with a fermentation lid as an extra precaution to keep out oxygen and prevent mold.
Ferment at room temperature from 70-80 degrees F for about 1 week or to taste. As you check on them every day you should see bubbling and activity.
Transfer to refrigerator to store and slow down the fermentation process. They should keep for a long time but always watch for mold. The flavor is best within months after fermenting. Enjoy!
Spicy Mexican Lact0-Fermented Red Onions Recipe
Makes ~ 1 quart
If you like the flavor of our traditional fermented red onions, these kick the spice up a notch and also add major flavor Mexican meals. They’re tangy, spicy, and bold with cumin.
Equipment:
- 1 quart Mason Jar or Weck Jar
- Wide-mouth leak-proof mason jar lids – for shaking up the jar without leaking
- Fermentation weight <– We love these!
- Fermentation lid <– These silicone lids work well for us
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion, medium to large
- Salt brine ratio – 2 tsp sea salt to 1 cup non-chlorinated water
- 2 hot peppers (any will do to taste), chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, whole, toasted
Slice red onions into thin slices, chop or slice your hot peppers, and fill your jar leaving about an inch or so of space at the top. Toast cumin seeds in a pan and add to jar.
Mix your salt water brine in the ratio of water to salt you enjoy and pour over the contents of the jar.
Add a fermentation weight to weigh down your onions below the brine level to prevent mold.
Cover with a fermentation lid as an extra precaution to keep out oxygen and prevent mold.
Ferment at room temperature from 70-80 degrees F for about 1 week or to taste. As you check on them every day you should see bubbling and activity.
Transfer to refrigerator to store and slow down the fermentation process. They should keep for a long time but always watch for mold. The flavor is best within months after fermenting. Enjoy!
Pickled Red Onions & Lacto-Fermented Onions – What To Expect During Fermentation
Pickled Red Onions
You’ll first start off with colorful white and red onions, but once you pour the boiling liquid over the onions, expect the brine to turn a vibrant pink in only a matter of 10 minutes! And with that, you’re done!
Lacto-Fermented Red Onions (Traditional & Spicy)
On the first day of fermentation, you shouldn’t notice too much action. The brine will still be clear and your onions still bright and colorful.
After 2-4 days you should start seeing bubbles rising from the onions occasionally, especially if you give the jar a little nudge! By day 3 our jars have started getting a little cloudy which means it’s working! We’ll continue to see bubbles all the way to day 7, when we decided the flavor tasted great. You can ferment longer or shorter but once it’s to your liking, move it to the fridge and enjoy!
Fermented & Pickled Onion Peanut Butter Sandwiches! Seriously?!?
When we heard about these super popular pickled red onions from Ethan Chlebowski, we knew we had to try making a living version of these. What’s more is when he said they were good on a peanut butter sandwich instead of jelly, we had to put it to the test, and wow! He was right! Check out what we thought above in our video.
Easy Lacto-Fermented Red Onions – An Amazing Condiment!
These fermented red onions are so tasty that we’re making sure to keep a jar of these in the fridge at all times! They have such a nice tangy flavor to make your mouth water and add a beautiful splash of red color to any meals that need a bit of color.
Feel free to add other spices and if you have any unique ideas for flavor combinations or tried this recipe, let us know how it’s going! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Happy fermenting!
Have you tried pickled or lact0-fermented onions?
I have been Fermenting for almost 2 years and have watched MANY of your Fermenting Videos. The both of you interact so well together and that makes your video’s enjoyable to watch.
My only comment is that you do not state the salt/brine % that you are trying to get. You just say 1 tsp salt/cup of water. Now it makes a big difference when you use a fine salt vs a course salt. I always weigh my salt for a specific brine %.
Keep up the great shows and JUST LOVE YOUR EXCITEMENT