If we were to give out awards to vegetables, we would name the pepper class most valuable player. Peppers are multitalented in a sense that they go well with anything and can adapt to anything. They have strong or subtle flavors depending on how you prepare them. It sometimes can get intimidating to add pepper with other food but you’ll know when you’ve found the perfect balance, you’ve hit a homerun.
Pickling peppers is just one but one of the best ways to prepare peppers. Pickling peppers with onion is a whole other level towards utopia.
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What does vinegar do to onions?
Vinegar is basically a diluted form of acetic acid in water. Vinegar’s acetic feature affects the color, texture and flavor of anything you soak it with.
When the onion is immersed in vinegar, vinegar tends to lighten the sharp flavor of the onion and crunch up the texture of the layers. The overall color of onion slightly changes. If the onion is white, the onion will turn just a little bit more off-white or borderline yellowish and if the onion is red, the redness will turn into a beautiful pink color.
The main takeaway for this is that vinegar reduces the overpowering flavor of the onion.
How to make pickled onions and pepper
Pickling is mostly about water, vinegar, salt and sugar. If you have these ingredients, you’re ready to pickle your peppers and onions.
First, wash your vegetables thoroughly. Don’t let any dirt be present in the pickling process.
Next, thinly slice the onions. You may use any kind of onion if you wish. You can use a mandolin to slice or rely on your super awesome knife skills to do the work. Set aside.
For the peppers, you may use sweet peppers or chili peppers. It really depends on the pepper available and what you fancy. Make sure though that if you use chili peppers, to wear gloves when handling them. You don’t want to worry about inhaling the hot fumes of the pepper and feel the burn on your hands. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and membrane. Thinly slice the peppers like you did with the onions. Place the vegetables in a jar. You may add other herbs and spices during this part if you wish. If you want softer peppers, you may quickly blanch the peppers in hot water until they soften.
In a saucepan, heat up your vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a heavy simmer until the solids dissolve and then remove from heat. Pour the brine into the jar with the vegetables. Let the brine cool for an hour and seal the jar. Keep in the chiller until ready.
How long before you can eat pickled peppers?
Pepper, unlike other quick pickling veggie processes, may take a little while longer to pickle before eating.
If you don’t pre-cook your peppers before pickling, it will take longer for the brine to penetrate through the pepper core. In any pickling situation, it’s better to wait up to a week before eating the finished product. The flavors would have had enough time to circulate around every player in the pickling jar.
Pickled peppers that have sat for a week or more are sure to be more tender and delicious.
What do you do with pickled peppers?
Pickled peppers are great in hearty food but not limited to that. Pickled peppers go so well with so many kinds of food that it’s quite convenient to always have pickled peppers in your fridge.
Pickled peppers go well in, on and with salads, pasta sauces, tacos, cheese boards, bruschetta, soups, garnish and even drinks! Yes, you read that. We wrote drinks.
Here are some specific dishes to have your pickled peppers with:
- Pulled pork tacos – Use as a side. It’s perfect with the richness of the pork!
- Squash soup – Pickled peppers cut through the thick, rich squash slush.
- Bloody Mary – A drop of a teaspoon of pickled peppers makes a daring drink.
- Cheese bruschetta – Top your cheese with pickled peppers and it balances the creaminess of the cheese.
Pickled Peppers and Onions Recipe
Ingredients
Basic Pickled Peppers and Onions
- 4 Sweet peppers (or any combination of peppers you like) sliced as rings or strips
- 4 onions sliced
- 1½ cups water or apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cups sugar or maple syrup or honey
- ½ cups vinegar 12%
- 1 pinch salt
Optional Addons
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 tbsp chili
Instructions
- Slice the peppers and onions thinly and put it in a jar. (Add the optional addons as well)
- Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil in a pot until everything dissolves. (IF you want softer peppers, boil them for 10 minutes )
- Add the boiling water to the jar.
- Let it chill for 24h. Stir or shake every now and then.
