Pickled Red Onions, Finally Correct

The version I make now is the fourth attempt. The first three were all too sweet, which I did not realise until I stopped following recipes and started paying attention to what I actually wanted.

What you need

• 1 large red onion, sliced thin
• 120 ml white wine vinegar
• 120 ml water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• A few peppercorns and a bay leaf, optional but worth it

Method

Slice the onion as thin as patience allows. Pack it into a jar.

Warm everything else until the sugar and salt dissolve — it does not need to boil, and boiling drives off some of the vinegar's sharpness, which is the point of the whole exercise.

Pour over. Let it cool on the counter, then refrigerate.

Notes

Edible after an hour, correct after a day, best around day three. They keep about two weeks, though they have never lasted that long here.

The sugar is doing less than most recipes suggest. A tablespoon balances the vinegar; two makes a sweet pickle, which is a fine thing but a different thing.