Pickled Vidalia Onions
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 I also 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 on me to enjoy them later.
Ingredients Needed for Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions
Vidalia Onions (sliced thinly)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Water
Salt
Sugar
How Long Do Pickled Onions Last?
Pickled onions will usually last at least 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. Keep in a jar with a tightly fitted lid.
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.
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 have a tight-fitting lid and ring. I was not canning the onions, so there was not a 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.
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.
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, 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 I am generally using my last onion in January.
Here are a few of my favorite main dishes that seem to go well with Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions:
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Tenders
For a few more side dishes that are sure to please your family, check out the following:
Quick Pickled Vidalia Onions
Ingredients
- 2 Vidalia Onions thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Slice onions thinly. Separate rings and add to a quart jar. The jar may be packed tightly. Continue to press and pack the onions into the jar.
- In a small saucepan, add vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and heat until salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Pour the hot liquid over the onions to cover completely. Tap the jar gently to remove any air bubbles and add more liquid to the jar if needed. Place a tight-fitting lid on the jar. Let cool slightly. Place into the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight before serving.
- Store in the refrigerator. They will last 3-4 weeks unless they disappear before then. 🙂
Ohhh Thank you for sharing this recipe because I love pickles onions and veggies. I am definitely going to try this with red onions!
I havent tried pickled onions and these ingredients are so easy to find and I have them all in my pantry. I will try this out!
One of my favorite restaurants has pickled onions on the side and I can never get enough! Now I can make my own and have them on hand at all times. Thanks for sharing!
I love the little kick that these onions add to just about any dish. Never overwhelming it compliments so well.
Love this idea of pickling onions and you make it look so easy!
Wow! This sounds interesting. I’m not going to find Valdalia onions here in the UK but I’m going to give this a try with red onions which I can get really easily. I love pickles with burgers and with a really strong cheddar. Thank you for sharing this.
ALWAYS FIND SWEET ONIONS NEVER VALDALIA. I’LL TRY RED AND WHITE MIX TODAY. YUM
I’m currently making this recipe to have on Pork Carnitas Nachos tonight! Wish me luck!
Good luck! You’ve got this! Enjoy!
Why do you say they need to be refrigerated?
And is the sugar really necessary?
Hi Sandi. The sugar is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Should these onions be refrigerated? Yes. You are not canning these onions using sterilized jars and lids. This is a refrigerator pickled onion recipe. Thanks for the questions and enjoy!
Can you use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar??
Yes, white vinegar will also work for this recipe.
Big fan of pickled foods and vidalia onions so this is a recipe for me. Can’t wait to taste it.
yum! I love pickled onions so much. This is a great recipe. Also, I am amazed that you can store your onions in the fridge for 9 months! amazing! I can buy more now!
Pickled onions are our favourites.. They are a fantastic toppings for burgers! Love it.
I loved the combination of flavors! I used them on burgers and had a few extra in my salad the next day for lunch This recipe is a definite make again!
I’ve never tried pickling onions before, but this recipe seems easy enough to follow. Can I add dill and garlic? I bet it adds a great depth of flavor to the tangy onions. I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
Yes you can add some dill and garlic to this recipe. Get creative and adapt the flavors to your taste. Thanks for the comment.