cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving
Notes
The covering and chilling is actual pretty vital to this recipe, although it’s tempting to skip the step. If you eat it right away, the flavors will feel off and disjointed, maybe too sweet or too tart. But once it’s had a chance to meld together in the fridge, everything becomes much more cohesive.
slice the onion very thinly, lengthwise (from pole to pole)
slice jalapeño very thinly into coins
add salt to taste—not enough to make it salty, just enough to play up the other flavors
add lemon juice and massage into the vegetables so that all the onions break up from their nested sections and the lemon juice nicely coats everything
rest ~10 minutes until the vegetables lose some of their raw bite
Notes
can use white onions, but the flavor is better with red, as they tend to be sweeter and better for consuming raw
I cut my vegetables very thinly; you could make thicker slices if that’s what you prefer and those may hold up better to storing (untested)
other acids can be used as well, such as vinegars, or lime juice; I find the lemon juice adds the best burst of bright citrus flavor and tang
These pickles are best made and enjoyed fresh, but can be stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. They will lose some of their snap as the acids continue to work on the vegetables, but will still be tasty.
A cup of balsamic vinegar can be cooked down as-is into a thick, syrupy glaze. This is my preferred method, which I find sweet enough. If you must add sugar, use the recipe below.
Ingredients
Amount
Ingredient
1 cup
balsamic vinegar
1 T
sugar
Any kind of sugar should work here (cane, raw, brown, granulated,). I would avoid powdered, as I haven’t tested that and it tends to behave in sometimes unexpected ways.
Process
Add all ingredients in a small sauce pot set on medium high heat.
Boil until reduced by half or desired consistency is reached.
Cool to room temp before using (optional)
Notes
Extra reduction can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably glass.
Pairs great with caprese salad, bruschetta, caprese appetizers, drizzled on artisanal pizzas, in paninis, etc. Some rave about drizzling it over vanilla ice cream.