Sides

Quick Pickled Onions

November 14, 2015 • By

Happy National Pickle Day!! In honor of today’s special holiday we’re going to talk about.. pickles! I for one am a big fan of this type of food so I wanted to share some fun facts about the process and also my quick pickled onion recipe. These red onions are packed with flavor and health and easy to make. 

Fun Facts of pickled vegetables:

Fun Facts:

  • Pickling is the oldest form of food preservation that was created out of necessity to prevent foods from spoiling before the invention of refrigeration.
  • Pickled vegetable typically maintain their nutrient integrity throughout the process, which is one of the benefits of eating this type of food.
  • The vitamins and minerals which are preserved are vital micronutrients which protect us from diseases, help us build immunity, bone strengthening, vision protection, curing anemia, and various other functions.
  • Diabetes: Studies have shown that consuming vinegar based pickles improves hemoglobin levels in diabetic patients, which in turn helps in controlling diabetes.
  • Fermented vegetables such as kimchi and sauerkraut are pickled in a way that encourage the growth of friendly bacteria, which will replenish the numbers in our digestive system and restore our health.
  • Pickles can be good source of antioxidants. The vegetable are stored fresh without cooking, the antioxidants present in those vegetables are preserved as is. Antioxidants are those micronutrients that help in protecting our body against the attacks of free radicals.

WHY you should give it a try:

Onions

  • Fun fact: Due to it’s antibacterial compounds, chewing raw onion 2-3 minutes can rid your lips, mouth and throat of germs.
  • The phytochemical presence within onions boost the efficacy of vitamin C in your body. In other words, it super charges your immune system against toxins that can lead to disease and illness.
  • Onions contain chromium, a mineral that is not normally found naturally in foods, which helps slow the release of glucose to the muscles and body cells which is very important, especially for diabetic patients.
  • There is a significant amount of quercetin found in onions which is a very powerful antioxidant compound known for reducing the spreading of cancer.

WHERE to get the goods:

  • Onions and white wine vinegar are typically available at your local market year round.

HOW to enjoy it:

  • I love these little guys on a variety of dishes. They can add a pop of flavor and health to salads, sandwiches, quinoa dishes or just eaten right out of the jar.