A Southern kitchen is not complete without an array of pickles and relishes. Seriously, we will put just about anything into a jar with vinegar and sugar. Pickled onion, cucumber, okra, corn, green tomato, watermelon rind... You name it, we have tried it. When I found this family recipe for easy Dilly Pickled Onion Rings, I had to give it a whirl. This recipe just feels like home. Sweet, sour and tangy, it doesn't get any easier than this. Dump everything into a jar, shake and put it in the fridge.
My husband and I come from a long line of geniuses. Humble brag. *Eats straight from the jar*
One of my favorite weekend activities is reading through old recipes. I have a collection of old community cook books, files of old newspaper recipe clippings, and of course, a stash of our family recipes.
I absolutely love flipping through my husband's grandmother's recipe box. It is full of quirky recipes like Hill Country BBQ Sauce, Tennessee Tea Cakes, and Beer Rolls. (All of which will be future blog posts.)
One that really takes me back is this fast and easy recipe for Dilly Pickled Onion Rings. I love just about anything pickled. Dill or sweet, that sweet tang gets my taste buds going.
Ingredients Needed:
- Onions - Use a mild or sweet variety.
- White Vinegar
- Sugar
- Water
- Dill
- Salt
- Mustard seeds
- Black Pepper
How to Make Dilly Pickled Onion Rings. A quick and easy refrigerator pickle recipe.
- Mix vinegar, water, sugar and spices in a quart sized jar.
- Seal and shake until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add fresh onion slices to the top.
- Seal and shake again.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 hours to overnight
- Enjoy!
Of course, you know me, I have to tweak the recipe. My father always accuses me of over doing it, but hey...nothing wrong with a little kitchen experiment.
The main thing I did to this recipe was double it and put it in a jar. Why? I knew that these pickled onions wouldn't last long so I needed a double batch.
Secondly, shaking all of the ingredients up in a jar made sense to me. Why dirty up another dish?
Use a wide mouth canning jar so you can fit the onions in.
I also cut back on the salt ratio just a little. But then I cranked up the dill! I love dill.
And yes you totally busted me reusing a lid. (If I were processing and canning these, I would never do this because they wouldn't seal properly. Since this easy pickle recipe is going into the fridge, a clean reused lid is just perfect.)
Try more of our family recipes:
Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
Tennessee Tomato Gravy
7-Up Cake
Sweet Hot Jalapeno Corn Relish
Roasted Tomato Jam
Citrus + Ginger Pear Preserves
If you can get your hands on fresh dill, I would recommend cutting it back to your taste. It takes a little more of the dried dill to get that dill flavor I was after. I also added a little pepper and some mustard seeds to our pickled onion. (If you like hot, throw a red-hot chile or two in the mix.)
Just slice your onions, pack them in the jar and shake some more. Into the fridge they go for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Dilly Pickled Onion Rings are great served with:
- Fried fish and hushpuppies (yummmmmmmmmmm)
- On top of your favorite fresh salad for extra tang and crunch
- Burgers and hot dogs
- With a plate of beans and cornbread (What doesn't go well with beans and cornbread?)
Bonus: No boiling or canning required. Keep them sealed tight in the fridge and they will keep for a week or three. (If they last that long.)
You can also make this fast pickle recipe with slices of cucumbers, red onion, radishes, and tomatoes. So fresh and easy.
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Dilly Pickled Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions mild or sweet
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ½ cup water plus additional if needed
- 3 teaspoon dried dill more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a wide mouth quart jar. Cover with lid and jar ring, seal and shake until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Peel and slice onions into rings. I separated half, and left half unseparated. Pack the sliced onions into the jar with the vinegar mixture.
- Add additional water to bring the liquid to cover the onions if needed.
- Seal tightly and shake to distribute the spices throughout the jar. Place the jar in the refrigerator for atleast 5 hours.
- Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated.
Can this recipe be canned in a water Bath?
I have never tried canning it for long term storage. Since they are low acid items, I would recommend pressure canning vs. a water bath.
These look delicious! I really can't wait to make these at home. I love onions but I've never pickled them before in this way - they would go great on a sandwich! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try!
These look delicious! I really can't wait to make these at home. I love onions but I've never pickled them before in this way - they would go great on a sandwich! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try!
Super easy and fast, too. (My daughter could literally eat a jar by herself, I have to make her stop.)
I add dill to basically everything!! This looks right up my alley! 🙂
Awesome, they are addictive.
How long does the jar keep for?
It will keep in the fridge, sealed, for about a week.
My mom and I have been making these for years! Always a favorite. I've never considered adding peppers or radishes - I'll bet that's delicious. Thank you for some great ideas.
Hard to go wrong with this. I did a quick pickle once using some julienned carrots, too. Gave it a lot of color and crunch. 🙂