This recipe is so simple, and so good, it deserves to be your new favorite condiment. I first had it on avocado toast - you know, a thick slice of hearty country bread drizzled with good olive oil, piled high with smashed well-salted avocado and topped with these pink, translucent ribbons of sweet briney awesomeness. Don't stop there. There's not a sandwich on earth that wouldn't benefit from some of this tangy wonder of fridge-fermentation. How about grilled sharp cheddar cheese on whole wheat? Now you're getting it. Tonight we're having it atop homemade black bean soup. Yup.
Ingredients
1 red onion
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Prep
Cut onion in half, make 3/8-inch slices. Blanch slices briefly: until they just barely start to get soft and change color. Place into jars.
Mix
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and peppercorns. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour into jar with onion slices. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Download a PDF of this recipe here.
Notes
For a little variety, add some white peppercorns and/or a few juniper berries if you have them.
Keeps well for two weeks in the fridge.
This recipe can also be canned. Instead of blanching, boil the onions in the brine for 5 minutes, place into prepared canning jars with 1/2 inch head space and tap out the bubbles. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Canned, it will keep unopened for a year.