
Need a bright and pungent punch to the taste buds? I gotcha.
Side note: Does loving pickled onions officially make me an adult?
Cause like most brilliant children, I hated ’em growing up. Onions of all kinds were strictly met with a daintily pinched nose and an over-exaggerated “Ewwwwww.”
…And then all of a sudden you’re old and bitter and you love onions because they’re old and bitter too.


So now that I’m ancient and almost thirty — it seems about right that my matured palate lives for that sharp onion bite. ‘Specially when pickled. (Still on the outs with french onion soup, Ima need dentures before touching that crap.)

Using pearl onions is a great decision simply due to the fact that tiny onions are adorable. They look like lil’ baby flower petals swimming in hibiscus juice. Bellies up. And if that’s not precious I dunno what is. The hibiscus tea not only adds that brilliant hue but also a depth of tangy floral flavor.
These hibiscus pickled onions are just my favorite(!)
Hibiscus Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounces pearl onions trimmed and paper skins rubbed off. May sub one large red onion
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 hibiscus tea bags
- 3/4 cup water
- 3-4 shots tabasco hot sauce may sub 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
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Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Take off heat and add tea bags. Steep for 6-8 minutes.
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While boiling and steeping, slice the pearl onions in half. Loosen the petals so they can shake out and dump them into the mason jar.
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Once fully steeped, squeeze out all the tea essence from the baggies and discard. Add the salt and sugar to the pot, stirring to dissolve. Mix in the vinegar and hot sauce.
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Pour the liquid over the onions and screw the lid on tight. Give it all a good shake to settle.
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Refrigerate, preferably overnight, for all the pickle magic to happen. Most delicious the first week or two.

Put Pickled Onions on:
- Slap on a charcuterie board to go with pâtés and cheesy toasts
- Tacos!
- Salads!
- Taco salads!
- Pretty much anything
Other Curious Pickled Bits:
- Sweet & Sour Juniper Berry Pickles
- Pickled Raisins with Sumac & Thyme
- Pickled Grapes with Balsamic & Herbs

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