I love having some kind of homemade pickle at the ready in my refrigerator. It is especially nice in the cold winter months for adding a bit of brightness to anything from sandwiches to stews to cheese boards. This method for quick pickled shallots works for a variety of things: onions, cucumbers, radishes… I hope you get the chance to play around with this recipe and try different combination s!
The Basics
There isn’t much to this recipe and it can be played with quite a bit. I like looking at my spice drawer to see what I have that needs to be used up and adding something different every time, but the combination I turn to most often involves bay leaves, peppercorns (pink, white and black are all lovely), red pepper flakes, clove, allspice, and/or star anise. (Star anise packs a real flavor punch, so feel free to dial it back to half a pod vs the entire star.) Once you have your spices figured out, you just need to add vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Everything simmers together and gets poured over your thinly sliced shallots (or veggie of choice). In as little as one hour, you’ll have edible, crisp pickles!
A note on ratios…
As with the spices, you can use whatever vinegar you have on hand. HOWEVER, what you choose will change the ration of vinegar to water. I like to use rice vinegar because it is slightly less acidic and makes for a pleasant flavor for pickle related snacking. I’ve also used white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. These varieties both call for a bit more water. Here is the breakdown I follow based on vinegar type:
Rice Vinegar: 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar: 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar
White Vinegar 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar
Are these pickles good for canning?
Short answer: no. These are meant to be refrigerator pickles that are consumed within a short period of time (2-4 weeks ideally) and my recipe is not tested for safety in regards to canning. Once your pickles are made, they should be refrigerated!
Quick Pickled Shallots
Makes enough for one 4oz jar to be kept in the refrigerator (NOT meant for canning)
4 medium/large shallots, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (black, pink, or white)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicier)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
Begin by placing everything but the shallots in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside for no more than 5 minutes.
In a heatproof container (I use a large liquid measuring cup) add your sliced shallots. Then carefully pour the hot vinegar mixture over the shallots. Set aside to cool completely.
Transfer to a jar and store pickles in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks. Perfect on grain bowls, tacos, or as an addition to the perfect cheese board!