Fermented Sweet Red Onions: Easy Old Fashioned Recipe
Discover how to make Fermented Sweet Red Onions, an Old-Fashioned Recipe with deep flavor, natural sweetness, and gut-healthy, probiotic-rich goodness.
Pickles, love ’em or hate ’em, there is no between. I dislike pickles, sorry to offend you die hard pickle lovers but I do not care for them. However, I love sweet pickled red onions but…. canning them feels almost wasteful. Why? Because I never use that many that fast to justify even a half pint jar. So what’s the solution? Ferments. Yes you can ferment SWEET red onions. Like any pickle brine, you add sugar to the ferment brine.
My family and I love to do as many things in the kitchen as God intended. We slow rise our sourdough, drink raw milk and live a waste not want not lifestyle. Fermented veggies fit right in.
Looking to add more probiotics to your or your families daily diet? Look no further. Begin adding in ferments on salads, cheeseburgers and sandwiches with these delicious probiotic rich fermented onions. Don’t like sweet red onions? Leave out the sugar to customize the recipe to fit your needs.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick – Fermenting red onions is quick and easy with minimal hands on time and no canning required.
Shelf Stable – Ferments are completely shelf stable in cool environments or you can refrigerate them to extend their shelf life.
Small Batch – Fermented red onions can be done in as small or large a batch you desire, based off the onion supply you have.
Gut Healthy – Ferments are full of lacto-fermented gut healthy probiotics our bodies need to keep us healthy.
Top Tips For Sweet Fermented Red Onions
- Use fresh in season produce for the best results
- Opt for organic produce as pesticides impact the ability of lacto-fermentation bacteria to proliferate.
- Use wooden utensils as much as possible. Metal can inhibit the growth of bacteria.
- Use non-iodized salt as this can inhibit the growth of lacto bacteria. I like to use Redmond Real Salt.
Fermented vs. Vinegar Pickles
You might be asking yourself the difference between fermented and vinegar pickles and I am here to tell you flavor is only the half of it.
Fermentation: A lacto-fermented red onion is full of probiotics. While the fermentation process occurs, good bacteria break down the sugar content in a food and turn it into lactic acid. The probiotics in your ferment come from the multiplication of bacteria, lactobacillus, hence the name lacto-ferment. These bacteria are not only working wonders on your food but they are pre-digesting it for you, making it easier for you to eat. Plus whenever you intake a fermented food you are adding beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome. Here in the US of A, we rarely eat fermented foods. Sauerkraut possibly, and the new craze for kombucha but that is about it.
Vinegar Pickling: A vinegar pickle will either be a quick refrigerator pickle or will need to be canned. I love canning to create a shelf stable food, however cooking vegetables at a high heat for an extended amount of time reduces the nutrient profile considerably.
A ferment can be stored in a cool dark place for months at a time. This retains all those beneficial nutrients are bodies so desperately need.
There is no easier way to add a ferment to your diet than switching out vinegar pickles for ferments.
How To Use Fermented Onions
If you already use pickled onions you can swap them out easily for fermented onions. Favorite ways to use fermented onions are:
- On Cheeseburgers
- Chopped in Green Salads
- Chopped in Potato Salad
- Corn Pasta Salad
- Sandwiches
- Bruschetta
How to Ferment Red Onions
Red Onions, Salt, Sugar, Seasonings, Water and time…that’s it! Fermented red onions are one of the quickest ways to preserve your harvest.
A Note On Pickling Spices
You can purchase a pickling spice or create your own from basic pantry staples. Here is a favorite mix I have purchased from Boise Salt Co. it comes in an easy resealable pouch.
Pickling Spice Mix
- Mustard Seeds
- Coriander Seeds
- Black Peppercorns
- Bay Leaves
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Garlic Cloves
Step 1
Create a 2% fermentation brine by dissolving 3/4 tsp of salt per cup of water. Add 1/2 tsp sugar per cup if desired. Set Aside.
Step 2
Slice and chop red onions to desired size.
Step 3
Pack red onions tightly into mason jars. Optional to use a wooden tamper.
Step 4
Add in a pickling spice mix or create your own for added flavor.
Step 5
Pour fermentation brine over onions leaving 2″ head space for fermentation weight.
Step 6
Secure jar with a lid and shake to make sure all air bubbles have surfaced and onions are fully surrounded in brine.
You will need some form of a weight to keep your ferment fully submerged in the brine and prevent mold and spoilage. My favorite method is creating a wedge with the item you’re fermenting, but a cabbage leaf or a glass weight or a smaller regular mouth mason jar floating inside a wide mouth all work well. Always remember when fermenting “If it’s below, it’s good to go!”
Screw a on lid lightly. This will allow for the gasses to release during fermentation. Leave the jar on the counter for 3 days to a week, check regularly to allow some gas to escape. Bubbles will appear in the jar giving your jar a carbonated look.
Fermentation times vary based off the item and temperature. During the summer my ferments only take three days to bubble, but in the fall sometimes 5 or 6 days. Fermentation is complete when active bubbling occurs as the jar is opened. You’re working with nature and processes that were designed perfectly. Trust the process.
Fermented Sweet Red Onions: Easy Old Fashioned Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Large Red Onions Adjustable depending on your amount
- 3 tsp Salt not iodized
- 4 cups Water
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 Half Gallon Mason Jar
Instructions
- Create a 2% fermentation brine by dissolving 3/4 tsp of salt per cup of water. Add 1/2 tsp sugar per cup if desired.
- Slice and chop red onions to desired size.
- Pack red onions tightly into mason jars. Optional to use a wooden tamper.
- Add in a pickling spice mix or create your own for added flavor.
- Pour fermentation brine over onions leaving 2″ head space for fermentation weight.
- Secure jar with a lid and shake to make sure all air bubbles have surfaced and onions are fully surrounded in brine.
- Place a fermentation weight or create a wedge with a cabbage leaf. Seal with a lid.
- Leave the jar on the counter for 3 days to a week, check regularly to allow some gas to escape. Bubbles will appear in the jar giving your jar a carbonated look.
Looking for other fermenting and gardening resources? Check out these articles.
