Lime Pickled Red Onions

My favorite taco food truck is only my favorite because of their lime pickled red onions. The truck itself is always late, never opens on time, and the line is always massive---and slow. So last year, after standing in line waiting for the truck to open (late, because the man with the cashbox hadn't shown up) I decided I'm better off developing my own recipe so I can have lime pickled red onions whenever I want.

This no-cook recipe, if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge, will last up to 7 days (possibly longer, but I haven't tried). It can also be made a few days in advance.

1 large red onion

1/4-1/2 cup fresh lime juice *

1-3 tbs orange juice *

1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt *

1/2 jalapeno (if you want a spicy treat)

*= to taste. The amount of lime, OJ, and salt you use will not only depend on much onion you use, but also on your flavor preferences. It's always best to start on the low side and increase ingredients in small amounts until you hit the flavor that is best for you.

I love red onions. But seriously dislike them when they've been cooked, which is one reason this is a no-cook recipe. The other reason is that cooking the onions is just unnecessary.

Peel and slice the onion about 1/4" wide or more and then transfer to a canning jar.

Squeeze 1-2 good size limes into a bowl or mixing cup. Add salt and orange juice and stir. I've seen some recipes that include sugar, but I think the orange juice gives enough sugar to the pickling juice.

Pour the pickling juice into your canning jar and cover tightly, store in the fridge. If it happens that the amount of pickling juice you made doesn't cover all of the onions, that's okay. You can either make another batch of lime juice or shake the jar regularly while it's pickling to make sure everything gets lime juice on it. Eventually the onions will start to "break down" and become soft, which will then allow the onions to settle into the juice.

Enjoy your lime pickled red onions on salad, sandwiches, tacos, or as is! The possibilities are endless!