Canning Red Onions in Vinegar

I got a huge bag of red onions at the farmers market... used them in salsa, several relishes, and in cooking... still had some left... 

I came across a simple recipe for red onions in vinegar and decided to use up the rest of my onions.

According to the recipe, "These onions rings are a perfect addition to fresh salads. Try adding them to a bed of romaine lettuce or spinach. Add strawberries and candied walnuts and dress with a mild vinaigrette." Well, that sounded yummy, I was sold! Plus they would look so pretty in the jars!

Here's what I did...

First I prepared my half pint canning jars by sterilizing them in boiling water. I simmered my lids and rings in water, keeping them hot until I was ready to use them.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, I combined...

4 cups red wine vinegar and 

1 clove garlic

I brought the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, reduced the heat and boiled gently for 5 minutes until the garlic flavor infused the liquid. I added...

10 cups sliced, peeled red onions (1/4 inch thick rings)

...and increased the heat to medium-high and brought everything back to a boil, reduced heat again and boiled gently for another 5 minutes, until onions were heated through. I discarded the garlic clove.

I packed my half pint jars with the onion mixture, leaving a generous half inch headspace and removing any air bubbles. I wiped the rims and tightened the lids on to a fingertip tightness.

I processed my jars of onions in a boiling water bath... place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

After processing, I removed the jars from the canner using my jar lifter, and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar!

In real life, the jars are NOT this blurry ;-) but the color is beautiful!