Onions perfectly complement the taste of various dishes - kebabs of pork or lamb, salads, soups and so on. It can be used as a supplement to salted or smoked fish, and can also be used just like that. But in order for this vegetable to be truly tasty and without bitterness, you need to know how to cook it correctly. Today we will tell you how to pickle onions quickly in and without vinegar. But first, let's share a few secrets on cooking vegetables. Stick to them to get the perfect result.
Basic cooking rules
Pickling onions is a quick and fairly simple process. But still, the hostess will not hurt to know some tricks on its implementation:
- You can choose vegetables of any size and grade for pickling, but sweet ones can be washed under running water, and bitter ones should first be soaked or scalded with boiling water. In addition, for pickling rings and half rings, it is better to use large onions. Small vegetables are more suitable for cooking whole.
- To get rid of bitterness, onions can be blanched for two to five minutes in hot water, and then pour with pre-prepared marinade. But you need to be careful! If you overdo the vegetable in boiling water, it will become extremely soft.
- There are many marinades for onions, but remember: all soluble components that enter them must be really dissolved during cooking. Otherwise, you can get a completely unpredictable result.
You can marinate not only the onion heads, but also the feathers with arrows. But such parts of the vegetable should first be soaked in saline for two to three days.
Onions marinated with vinegar
Such a onion can be used as an addition to barbecue, an ingredient for salads or decoration of any meat dish. Well, of course, be used separately from everything, since it is very tasty.
The right ingredients:
- warm water from the kettle - 0.25 ml;
- 2-3 large onions (at least 450 grams);
- 6- or 9-percent vinegar - 3 tablespoons;
- sugar (sand) - 2 tablespoons with top;
- finely ground salt - 1 teaspoon;
- herbs and other spices to taste.
Before pickling onions in vinegar, it should be peeled, rinsed under a tap, cut into rings. Put in a plate, pour boiling water. Leave aside. At this time, prepare the marinade: in a separate cup mix vinegar, sugar, salt, herbs (dill is better, since parsley can affect the final taste). Combine both components - chopped onion (without water!) And marinade. Let stand for 30-40 minutes. This time will be enough for the vegetable to pickle. After it is already possible to serve.
Onions marinated with lemon juice
If for some reason you do not favor vinegar, try cooking a dish without it. For example, you can replace it with lemon juice. The recipe for pickling onions for salad, herring or barbecue, in this case, will be as follows.
The right ingredients:
- large onion - 1 head;
- medium-sized lemon - 1 piece;
- vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon;
- sugar (sand) - 1 teaspoon;
- warm water from the kettle - 50 ml;
- finely ground salt - 0.5 teaspoon;
- ground pepper and dry greens - a pinch.
Peel the onion properly, rinse with tap water, chop finely or as you like. Dip in boiling water, blanch for two minutes. Get out and leave in a plate. In a separate cup, prepare the marinade from the remaining ingredients, namely: oil, salt, sugar, herbs, water, juice from lemon and pepper. Pour them slices of vegetable. Leave for 30-40 minutes, so that the onion has time to marinate. After the time has passed, you can taste it or serve it already.
Pickled onions specially for herring
Salty herring is tasty in itself, but in conjunction with onions - in general something divine (at least in our opinion). Many housewives just cut the vegetable into rings, sometimes they add a little more and serve it to the table. So delicious too! But try this time to do it differently.
Essential Ingredients:
- large onions - 1-2 pcs.;
- cool water - 150 ml;
- vinegar 9% - 70 ml (do not confuse with essence!);
- fine sugar - 40 grams;
- salt - a pinch;
- dried dill, basil or parsley - a little;
- green peas - optional.
Pour onion chopped by any method with marinade made from other ingredients. Leave for twenty minutes to insist. Transfer to pieces of herring, laid out on a flat plate. Garnish with green peas. Serve to the table, you can, along with potatoes in their skins. It is worth noting that in this case, instead of vinegar, it is possible to use lemon juice, vegetable oil or soy sauce. In any case, it will turn out exquisitely and tasty!
Onions cooked with beets
If you want to surprise your guests or family with some exotic dish, try cooking onions with beets for them. In this case, the vegetable will have a stunning red color. It is ideal as a barbecue appetizer!
Essential Ingredients:
- white bulbs - 5-7 pcs.;
- juicy beets - 1 pc.;
- apple cider vinegar - 70 ml;
- chilled boiled water - 70 ml;
- salt, sugar, pepper - to taste;
- greens - as needed.
How to marinate onions delicious in this case? In the following way: scald peeled and sliced vegetables in boiling water, let lie for 5-10 minutes. Cut beets, peeled, into slices and put in a deep container. Place onion slices on top. Pour all the marinade made from the remaining ingredients: spices, herbs, vinegar and water.
Cover tightly, let stand at room temperature for two to three hours. Then put it in the refrigerator, shaking it slightly beforehand for uniform coloring of the components. After 6-7 hours, get the onion, transfer to a separate plate and serve.
Pickled Red Onion
Red onion is no less tasty than white. But he is more presentable externally. Therefore, if there is a festive feast ahead, you can use this vegetable for pickling and decorating dishes. The recipe is simple.
Essential Ingredients:
- fruit or regular 6 percent vinegar - 1 tbsp. l .;
- fine sugar - 2 tsp;
- sea salt - 1 tsp;
- dry greens - a handful or to taste;
- large red onion - 2 heads;
- boiled water - 200 ml.
Before pickling onions, you need to prepare a pickle. To do this, pour salt and sugar into boiling water. Wait until the ingredients dissolve (it will take about five minutes, probably). Add vinegar and herbs, stir well. Chop the onion in half rings or as you like. Pour with prepared marinade. Set aside forty minutes to the side. After this, the dish can already be eaten.
Pickled Onion Arrows
It is worth noting that you can pickle not only the onion heads, but also its other parts, for example arrows. The resulting workpiece is ideal for decorating various dishes (for example, salads) and making sauces. And also it can be used as a separate snack.
The right ingredients:
- onion arrows - 0.5 kg;
- fresh herbs (dill and parsley) - 100 g each;
- dill seeds - a pinch;
- granulated sugar - ¼ tsp;
- fruit vinegar - 40 ml;
- salt - 2 tbsp. l with a small top;
- sweet peppers - 3 pcs.;
- boiled water - 0.5 liters.
Cut onion arrows into pieces 4-5 cm long. Pour in a brine made from boiled water and shallow salt. Leave for 2 days. Then remove from the marinade and dry a little, laying on paper towels. At this time, sterilize the jar. Put greens, dill seeds, pepper and onion in a glass container blanched for 2-3 minutes. All this pour brine from vinegar and granulated sugar. Shake the jar slightly several times so that the mixture is evenly distributed. Cover the jar with a lid, put in the refrigerator. You can use it after 2-3 days.
Tips
Pickled onions can create a unique duet with a fish or meat dish. Its preparation does not require knowledge of various culinary subtleties. All you have to do is start creating a dish and complete it in 5-10 minutes. We suggest watching a video on how to pickle onions quickly and tasty.
The only remark is that pickling onions in a plastic container is not worth it. To do this, it is better to use a glass jar or other more suitable utensils.
In conclusion
Now that you know some recipes for pickling onions, you can safely begin to create a dish. This is if you have enough vegetables at home. Well, if not, it doesn’t matter either. After all, you can always run to the store and choose a beam there. Well, we want to give advice in the end - do not be afraid to experiment! You can safely add or reduce the amount of vinegar, herbs and other ingredients from time to time. And so on until you find the perfect recipe for yourself.