Cilantro Lime Onions

Our garden cilantro has been threatening to bolt. Suddenly it is getting very tall, and putting all it’s energy into making flowers, not into making those delicious leaves that we love to eat.  We decided to pull it all up and cook it today.  We made a very simple but abundantly delicious quick pickle. The name says it all Cilantro. Lime. Onions. How can you go wrong?

Once pickled these onions can be used in many situations. They can be tossed into salads or added to quesadillas.  I personally love an all beef hot dog on garlic naan with Indian style ketchup and some of these onions on top.  In the photographed dish, we used them with coriander rice,  jalapeno marmalade, and seared salmon.

A summer treat… Cilantro Lime Onions

5 red onions

1 ½ cups ice cold water

2 bunches cilantro

2 limes

1 cup white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

A few pepper flakes

In a pot on the stovetop, combine the vinegar, sugar, juice from two limes, sugar, salt, and pepper flakes. Allow this to heat until it boils lightly

As this is heating, cut the onions into thin slices.  Dunk them into the ice cold water. Pour this through a strainer so you are left with cold, wet onions.  This gives them a slightly milder, more balanced flavor. Toss them into the hot vinegar mixture, and allow it to cook for five minutes.

As it is cooking, roughly chop up the cilantro. Turn off the heat, and toss the cilantro in. Taste them, and adjust the sweetness, acidity, spiciness to taste.

From here you can

a)      Snack on them as soon as they cool

b)      Put them up using the water bath canning method (

c)       Allow them to cool, pour them into jars, and keep them in the fridge-they will last for several weeks

There a great simplified version of this recipe too. Just dunk the sliced onions in the water bath, squeeze juice from five limes all over them, and then add the salt and cilantro. The onions will wilt down, leaving you with a fresh tasting snack.