I made homemade pickles – it changed my cooking and my transit

Whether you like it or not, pickles are part of what is called pickles. Generally speaking, these are foods whose life span is extended thanks to a solution of vinegar and salt which triggers a lacto-fermentation process (nothing to do with milk, it refers to lactic acid).

This process makes food more acidic, to the point of killing most bacteria, making it a great way to preserve it. As you can imagine, it also changes the taste, texture, and even the visual appearance of the food, which partly explains why a cucumber can look so different from a cucumber.

While I love cucumbers, I hate pickles, so I’d never considered making homemade pickles. But that was before I stumbled across a (fascinating) chef’s TikTok, Ethan Chlebowski, explaining why he adds red onion flakes to any savory dish. And since it sounded very simple, I love onions and pimp my way of cooking, I started right away! From, I can’t help it, I put it everywhere, and I cook even more at home just to say the least. I might even be walking around with a jar still on me soon, who knows.

Because pickles will exploit your dishes and your transit

Indeed, by their bright pink colourred onions provide an always interesting visual contrast. From their half crunchy and half melting texture, it can also give relief to a dish. And especially, by their slightly sweet-salty acidity, it almost looks like a candy! It also makes the mouth salivate more (to counterbalance the acidity), which enhances the flavours of what you slip into.

Furthermore, since it is lacto-fermented, red onions also provide the body with probiotics. To put it quickly, it’s about beneficial bacteria for the balance of intestinal flora, which therefore contribute to better digestion.

The basic ingredients for cooking red onion pickles

To pickle red onions, but also any other vegetable you want to ferment (such as carrots, red cabbage or fennel, for example), you only need 4 ingredients, which you can vary or complete as you wish, as you become addicted like me. But first, get yourself a glass jar that you can close hermetically thanks to its lid, because it will serve as a measuring cup and preserves:

• A few red onions, just to make your effort profitable (just enough to fill your jar, in fact: I make at least 5 for a 500 ml jar).
• Half a jar of white vinegar (or cider, or rice)
• Half a can of water
• 1 generous pinch of coarse salt

And that’s all to form the basis of your vinegar solution. You can enrich it with other aromatic ingredients with antibacterial properties, such as cloves, star anise or even a spoonful of sugar. What I love to add are mustard and cumin seeds, dry toasted for a few minutes in a pan to roast them, which accentuate the flavors.

The 4-step pickled red onion recipe

1. Pour half the water, half the vinegar and a pinch of salt into a saucepan and bring this solution to a boil (you can also add the cloves, star anise, sugar or mustard seeds and toasted cumin).
2. While your mixture heats up, peel the red onions, halve them, then slice them thinly (from root to head, ideally—this has the benefit of breaking down fewer cells, so fewer you cry). Put them in your jar.
3. Once your solution has come to a boil, pour it into your jar, over the still-raw red onions (yeah, yeah). Your onions must be completely immersed, so that the lacto-fermentation process proceeds in the best possible way, and therefore to be able to keep them for a long time.
4. Let your preserve temper before putting it in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and it’s ready to eat!

But the more time passes, the richer in flavor and probiotics your onions will be. Why it keeps easily up to 3 weeksif they remain well immersed in the acetic solution.

Then you can sprinkle a big forkful of homemade pickles on any plate savory (or not, I’m not judging) like stuffed eggplant, roasted halloumi, mushroom risotto, or squash with chestnuts. Personally, I love putting it on my red lentil dahls, my sin carne chili, and my smoked tofu spring rolls.

And you, did you already make homemade pickles? If so, what are your recommendations and best combinations?

A photo credit: YouTube screenshot Ethan Chlebowski.