Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions - Home at Cedar Springs Farm (2024)

Pickled onions, with their tangy and crisp texture, are incredibly versatile and can enhance a wide range of dishes. The balance of acidity and sweetness in pickled onions adds depth to recipes, elevating the overall dining experience.

Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions– vinegar, sugar, salt, onions, and water are the only ingredients needed for a delicious and crunchy refrigerator pickle. This treat is sure to be enjoyed all year long.

A sweet pickled onion that only takes minutes to prepare. A perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess brings these onions to life. Pickled Vidalia Onions are stored in your refrigerator and are fabulous served with burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and grilled meats.

During the spring, I usually buy 50 pounds of Vidalia Onions as part of a fundraiser. This not only helps the kids at school but also helps me with my love of onions. I cook a lot with onions and freeze onions to use later for soups, stews, and such. Vidalia onions are only in season for just a short time, so you better grab yours while they last.

I made these onions today, and they seriously took about 15 minutes from start to finish. They are hanging out in my refrigerator now, waiting for me to enjoy them later.

Why This Recipe Is Great

Pickling onions is a simple and rewarding way to enhance the flavors and preserve them for longer shelf life. They add depth to your dishes with a unique flavor and texture. Here are a few reasons to consider why you should pickle onions.

Flavor: Quick pickled sweet onions add a delightful flavor to your dishes. The combination of ingredients is simple, yet they work together to complement a wide range of foods.

Texture: These onions provide a crisp and crunchy texture and turn raw onions into a delightful addition to your meals.

Versatility: Pickled onions are versatile and can be used in a number of ways. They are fantastic as a topping for burgers or hotdogs or stirred into salads. They also make a quick and tasty snack.

Ingredients Needed for Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions

Only 5 simple ingredients are needed to create a flavorful and crunchy batch of quick pickled Vidalia onions perfect for added flavor and depth. These ingredients are found in most grocery stores. For a complete list of ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.

• Vidalia Onions – Vidalia onions are known for their sweet and mild taste, making them ideal for pickling. Vidalia onions have a short season; therefore, this onion recipe will also work nicely with white onions, any sweet onions, or red/purple onions.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar adds a tangy flavor to the pickling liquid. It helps to preserve the onions and balance out the sweetness.
• Water – Water is used to dilute and soften the vinegar to make the pickling brine.
• Salt- Salt is a crucial ingredient in pickling and helps preserve the onions, enhance the flavor, and provide a crisp texture. Salt acts as a natural preservative. I use regular table salt, but sea salt would work as well.
• Sugar – Sugar adds sweetness and balance to the acidity of the vinegar.

How Long Do Pickled Onions Last?

When properly stored, pickled onions will usually last at least 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. Keep in a jar with a tightly fitted lid.

To ensure the longest shelf life:

What Do You Do With Pickled Onions?

Pickled onions are good with so many foods. They go great with just about anything cooked on the grill. Try them on hot dogs, hamburgers, bbq sandwiches, or as a side dish with vegetables. The sweet, salty, and tangy taste will be delicious with just about anything and everything.

Pickled onions are very versatile and can be used in many ways to add flavor and texture to your dishes. Here are a few creative ways to use pickled Vidalia Onions:

• Toppings for burgers, Sloppy Joes, and pulled pork sandwiches.
• Tacos
• Salad Toppings/ Pizza Toppings
• Charcuterie Boards

These are just a few ideas to get you started, but the possibilities are endless. Experiment and get creative with how you incorporate pickled onions into your favorite dishes.

How to Make Sweet and Tangy Pickled Onions

I started with 2 medium onions. Vidalia onions are not small onions, so these filled up my quart jar tightly. If Vidalia onions are not in season, yellow or red onions will also work nicely.
I used canning jars for my pickles because I had them on hand, and they also had a tight-fitting lid and ring. I was not canning the onions, so there was no need to sterilize the jars.
Slice the onions and fill the jar to the top. Pack the sliced onions as tightly as possible into the jar.
Boil the pickling ingredients and pour over the top of the onions. Tightly seal the jar. Allow the onions to cool slightly before placing them into the refrigerator. Then chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

Following these instructions will yield a batch of quick-pickled onions that are perfect for adding a kick of zest to your favorite foods.

I used canning jars (mason jar).

Slice Onions Thinly: Slice the onions thinly, separate the rings, and add them to the quart mason jar/ jars. Pack them tightly, pressing down as you fill the jar.

Prepare Pickling Liquid: In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer, and heat until salt and sugar have dissolved.

Pour Hot Liquid Over Onions: Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid over the onions in the jar. Use a wooden spoon to press the onions down into the jar, allowing the liquid to settle and cover the onions completely.

Seal and Chill: Add a tight-fitting lid, allow the jar to cool completely to room temperature, and then transfer to the refrigerator.

Be sure to try my Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip. It’s cheesy, creamy, and comes together fast.

Which Onions Are Best for Pickled Onions

In my opinion, Vidalia Onions are the best. Why do you ask? The main reason is that they are plentiful where I live during the spring and summer months. Vidalia onions are grown in Vidalia, Georgia, and can only be grown in Georgia. They are only available during the months of April through August. So, I always try to stock up during these months to have enough to last through the winter.

Vidalia onions are known for their sweetness and crispness, and no other onion compares to this one.
Now, of course, if you can’t find any Vidalia onions in your local grocery store, this recipe will certainly work with red onions. Red onions come in as my second favorite onion and will be deliciously pickled as well. Red onions will turn the juice in the jar a light pinkish color and will make a pretty presentation.
For more information on Vidalia Onions, be sure to check out this link about Vidalia Onions.

Recipe Tips

These tips will help to ensure you are successful in making a batch of pickled onions ready for the refrigerator in minutes. This is a very easy pickle recipe that will not disappoint.

• Select fresh onions and slice thinly.
• Use high-quality apple cider vinegar. You can also use white vinegar.
• Heat the pickling liquid.
• Pack onions tightly.
• Chill for the best results and flavor.

If you enjoy pickled foods, be sure to try my Spicy Pickled Eggs. They are easy to make and are the perfect snack.

Other Add-Ins

These are just a few suggestions for making pickled onion, and the add-ins are endless. Feel free to experiment with other spices to achieve the taste you are looking for.

What Is The Best Way To Keep Vidalia Onions?

Store Vidalia Onions in a cool and dry area. Most people like to store them in the bottom of their pantry. It’s also best if you can store them in a single layer, not touching. But personally, I like to keep my onions in the refrigerator. I have a large bottom drawer that holds about 30 pounds of onions. I typically use the onions stored in my pantry first, and then I move to the ones in my refrigerator.
Usually, these onions will last about 9 months in my refrigerator. I have stored them this way for years and generally use my last onion in January.

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