Why is my onion pickle taking super long?
I made an onion pickle recipe I saw on YouTube.
It was a brine of water and vinegar (1:1) and salt. You boil it, then pour over onion. Let cool. Store in fridge. It's very common on YouTube. They say, it gets done in overnight.
I made it and next day it wasn't done. I left it for 2 more days and still not done. I took it out of the fridge. And 2 days later and still not done!!
Why is it not done? and how do I make it ready quicker?
** My "doneness" meter is the color. Onion gets fully purple and so does the water. Mine is still just the outer surface purple and the flesh is white. The water is just semi opaque. Far from what I saw in the videos.
Edit : extra details
Here is the video pickled onion
Many other videos on YT under the name "pickled onion" share the exact same recipe.
And here is a picture of my current onion
And here is what it's supposed to look like
Update : results
I tried using this patch as is.
But it was sharp and had a bitter aftertaste.
So I decided to "fix" it following your recommendations.
Here is what I suspect went wrong. First thing as you guys mentioned below, my onion was pretty thick. Also, I realized that my vinegar was very stale and I still went with (1:1) ratio with water. Also, I didn't pour the brine immediately after boiling. And I just left it outside until it just cooled down to room temp.
So here is how I tried to reverse that.
I separated the onions from the brine to change a few things :
- I cut the onions more thin
- I increased the vinegar concentration (by adding extra amount then boiling it)
- I added more salt
- I poured the boiling brine immediately on the onions
- I left it outside the fridge for more than 3 hours
I left them for overnight because it's extremely cold here.
The results :
Color was way off than presented (very pale greyish purple).
The onion slice has a uniform color now.
Isn't vibrant whatsoever. but better than before.
Texture was amazing. (Crunchy as desired).
Taste was pretty good. (very tasty and vinegary).
I don't know if that what it supposed to taste like. But I like it so much.
If I made a new patch (I know I will) I will post if the results are different. Thanks for your time and help.
Best Answer
Refrigerator "pickles" are generally "done" when the flavor and texture is to your liking. There is no reliable color indication. There is no fermentation expected. It is not a long term preservation technique, but rather, a flavor enhancer. You can eat refrigerator pickles after a few minutes, or keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Just keep tasting until they are what you like.
Some things to think about: the onions in your photo are sliced more thickly and irregularly than the sample video. The thicker your slices, the longer it will take the cell structure to break down and for them to soften and take on the flavor you are looking for. If you want to replicate what you see in the video, you have to use the same onions, and slice them the same way.
Other variables to look at, are the type of onion itself, as this will, of course, impact the flavor. Also, consider the type of vinegar you are using. These vary in acidity and flavor.
Finally, if you intend to use them over a few days, I would certainly not stick my fingers into the storage container, as the person in the video does. Doing this increases the likelihood that you will introduce bacteria or mold spores into your pickles, greatly diminishing your storage time.
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How long until pickled onions are ready?
Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.Why do you put onions in salt water before pickling?
Before you begin to peel and trim them, prepare a large bowl of salty water (brine). This draws moisture out of the onions and softens them ever so slightly before pickling.How long can you keep onions in vinegar?
Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving. Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.How long do pickled onions last in vinegar?
You can store Pickled Red Onions in the refrigerator for about a week. You can also add chilies, ginger and some spices to enhance the flavor of this Vinegar Onion. If one batch of Vinegar Onions get over, you can add more onions to the same vinegar solution till it is used up completely.Why I always have Pickled Onions in my fridge.
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Images: Piotr Arnoldes, Gustavo Fring, Gustavo Fring, Ron Lach