Pickled Red Onions
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 24, 2016
Yield
2⅔ cups
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Red onions get their color from the presence of anthocyanins, a type of compound present in many other colorful foods, including fruits like red grapes and cherries. If you’ve ever pickled red onions, you know that when the hot, acidic liquid of your pickling solution hits the sliced onions, their color goes from dull reddish purple to a bright, intense pink. The culprit of this color change are those colorful anthocyanins. At low pH (approximately pH 3 and below), anthocyanins are positively charged and tend to have a red color. At higher pH (pH 4-5), anthocyanins are nearly colorless and carry no charge. As the pH increases (to approximately pH 8 and above), anthocyanins can gain a negative charge and are blue. The pH sensitivity of anthocyanins is responsible for many of the pesky color changes we see in food, such as the grey-blue color of blueberries cooked in alkaline quickbreads.
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, water, sugar, and salt together in medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until sugar and salt dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer onions to large jar or bowl. Pour hot pickling liquid over onions and let cool for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until onions turn pink and are seasoned throughout, at least 8 hours. Strain onions and serve. (Onions can be refrigerated in pickling liquid for up to 2 weeks.)
Yield
2⅔ cupsIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Pickled red onions are the swiss army knife of garnishes. Don’t know how to garnish your shrimp dish? Throw some pickled reds on it. Need a little zing on your burger? Pickled reds. Want to spice up your life? Pickled reds. We’ve had these onions on everything. Part of it is that these guys hit those sweet, sour, and salty checkboxes so well. They’re like vibrant pink onion candy, and they’re great.
Before You Begin
Red onions get their color from the presence of anthocyanins, a type of compound present in many other colorful foods, including fruits like red grapes and cherries. If you’ve ever pickled red onions, you know that when the hot, acidic liquid of your pickling solution hits the sliced onions, their color goes from dull reddish purple to a bright, intense pink. The culprit of this color change are those colorful anthocyanins. At low pH (approximately pH 3 and below), anthocyanins are positively charged and tend to have a red color. At higher pH (pH 4-5), anthocyanins are nearly colorless and carry no charge. As the pH increases (to approximately pH 8 and above), anthocyanins can gain a negative charge and are blue. The pH sensitivity of anthocyanins is responsible for many of the pesky color changes we see in food, such as the grey-blue color of blueberries cooked in alkaline quickbreads.
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, water, sugar, and salt together in medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until sugar and salt dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer onions to large jar or bowl. Pour hot pickling liquid over onions and let cool for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until onions turn pink and are seasoned throughout, at least 8 hours. Strain onions and serve. (Onions can be refrigerated in pickling liquid for up to 2 weeks.)
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