It’s hard to overstate the awesomeness of pickled red onions. They’re like that person you invite to all your virtual happy hours because she tells the best stories and keeps everyone laughing. It would still be fun without her, but it’s always just a little more fantastic when she’s there. So it is with pickled red onions: once you have a jar, you’ll want to taste their big, sweet, tangy flavor on everything!

They’re the zesty pop of color on our pizza, avocado toast, and salad. They’re the bright note in our tacos, burgers, and omelets. They’re the spicy crunch that foils all that creamy fat and salt on our cheese and charcuterie boards. And, they’re mighty fine curled up in a Gibson, too.

Our tip: Pickled red onions are so easy to make, there’s really no good excuse for not making a lot of them. A double or triple batch will not be too many.

Ingredients

1 large red onion, julienned
1 cup red wine vinegar
¾ cups water
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp peppercorns
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp coriander seeds

Directions

Place the red onions in a clean 1-quart mason jar.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in a small non-reactive pot and bring it to a boil.

Remove the brine from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the brine over onions, allow them to cool completely, and then store them in the refrigerator. Pickles will keep for up to two weeks.