Summer has just started and so far, we’ve been lucky with the weather. It hasn’t been too hot, and for that, I am grateful. I know there will come a time very soon when I am hiding inside and giving praises to the great gods and goddesses of air-conditioning. Until then, I am also taking advantage of our local farmers markets for their abundance of fresh produce! Fresh produce means organic lettuce for salads, a huge variety of vegetables to roast or eat raw, exceptional fruit and of course, cucumbers for pickles! Pickling cucumbers only come around once a year, so while they are here, I buy them by the cartload. That way we have homemade pickles year-round. I even do a lot of quick pickles just to have something different around the house.
Speaking of quick pickles, the quick pickle classes I’ve been teaching at VomFass in Claremont have sold out twice and we still have two more classes to go! It’s such a blessing to be able to show people how to preserve things or create things that are new and different. If you haven’t been to a VomFass or perhaps you don’t have one near you, hop online and check out all of their amazing oils, vinegars and spirits! It’s hard not to fall in-love with their oils and vinegars. We’ve been able to make some of the most unique quick pickles! Case in point, these Craft Beer Balsamic Sweet Onions.
Right now, you may be thinking “WHAT? Craft Beer Balsamic Sweet Onions? How is that a pickle?” Well, let me explain. When you ‘pickle’ something it just means you take some type of food and soak it in a brine or vinegar solution to preserve it. You can pickle any number of things. Cucumbers for dill pickles – perhaps the most common in the US, beets, carrots, cabbage, radishes, peppers, garlic, even fruits like grapes, blueberries or peaches and in this case onions. What makes these different is instead of the usual white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, we’re using Craft Beer Balsamic Vinegar to turn our sweet onions into pickled onions. If you are a craft beer lover, these pickles are for you! They are fantastic as a topping on cheeseburgers and equally delicious over grilled chicken. Serve them on a cheese plate with a hot pretzel and spicy mustard. If you’re feeling really brave, take the brine from the pickles and put it in a saucepan, turn the heat on medium-high and reduce the brine until it’s a thick sauce and use it to glaze pork chops. AMAZING!! No matter how you use these pickled Craft Beer Balsamic Onions, they’re sure to bring a unique twist to you next BBQ.
Craft Beer Balsamic Sweet Onions
- July 1, 2018
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Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and sliced sweet onions
- 1 cup VOMFASS Beer Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Directions
- Step 1
- Place the onions in a 1 pint (2 cup capacity) glass jar.
- Step 2
- In a small saucepan, heat the remaining ingredients until the sugar has dissolved then pour over the onions, ensuring the onions are completely covered.
- Step 3
- Place the lid on the jar and allow to cool before placing in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Step 4
- These pickles will last for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Looking for more pickle recipes? Try some of these!
Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickle Chips
