I’m excited to share with you two different methods to process a massive onion harvest. These are perfect ways to preserve those onions before they go bad. We’ll be making a simple pickled onion recipe that requires no canning, just refrigeration, and I’ll also guide you through the process of making your own onion powder.
👩🍳Get a free printable PDF recipe card for both pickled onions and onion powder, sent to your email by clicking HERE.
Check out the video version of this recipe on my YouTube channel:
Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red wine vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 TBS white sugar
- 1 TSP salt
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 TSP whole peppercorns
- Lots of sliced onions. I used red onions but you could use any type of onion.
- Clean glass jars with lids. I'm using 8oz mason jars that you can find HERE.
Instructions:
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Prepare the Onions: Chop off the tops and ends of the onions and remove the outer dry skin. Slice the onions into thin rounds for even pickling.
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Make the Brine: In a pot, combine water, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, salt, and whole peppercorns. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt.
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Combine: Once the brine is ready, pour it over the sliced onions in a clean glass mason jar, ensuring the onions are fully submerged.
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Cool and Store: Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge. For immediate use, let the onions sit in the brine for at least 30 minutes to one hour for the best flavor.
Using Pickled Onions:
I love adding pickled onions to garlic butter yuca, rice and beans, or pork chops. They add a tangy crunch to any dish and are super versatile.
Homemade Onion Powder
Ingredients:
- Onions
- High powered blender. I'm using a smoothie cup with my Ninja blender on the extract setting. You can find this same blender HERE.
- Glass jars to store the onion powder. I'm using 4oz glass jars with labels that I got from Amazon HERE.
- Food dehydrator. I use a London Sunshine six-tray food dehydrator. Get 10% off London Sunshine 6 tray food dehydrator by using my code: Jerra and this link: https://bit.ly/3SOhUXI
Instructions:
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Chop the Onions: Roughly chop the onions to fit in the dehydrator trays.
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Dehydrate: Spread the chopped onions across the trays of your food dehydrator. Set the temperature to about 131-158 degrees Fahrenheit to start and allow them to dehydrate for around 3-6 hours. Midway, mix the onions around for even drying. Dehydrate the onions until they are dry and papery.
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Blend into Powder: Using a high-speed blender, blend the dried onions into a fine powder.
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Store: Store the onion powder in small glass containers labeled with the date. These containers are convenient and keep the powder fresh.
Using Onion Powder:
I use onion powder to enhance soups, stews, and as a flavoring in dry rubs for meats. It adds a deep, rich flavor that elevates any dish.
Long Term Storage
Jars of refridgerator pickled onions will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. If you can the jars of pickled onions, they can last 1 year in storage. To can, drop the jars into a canner. Cover with enough water so it is 2 inches above the top of the jars. Boil or process for 10 minutes. Then remove the jars and let them cool down for 24 hours before storing away.
The dried onion powder can last up to a year when stored properly in a cool, dry, dark place. Using these methods, you can make the most of your onion harvest and enjoy your bounty for months to come.