I love this recipe as a side for Pork Carnitas! Pickling the peppers and onions in a citrus brine is the perfect complement to the hint of citrus in the carnitas. It’s quick and easy to make, and of course goes with all sorts of other dishes, too. There’s very little sugar other than the natural sugars from the juice, so unless you’re watching your sodium, this is a very healthy side dish. If you don’t drink the juice, much of the sodium likely gets discarded anyway. Sorry, I honestly don’t know how to estimate the amount of sodium that remains in the onions and peppers, so I’m not including a nutrition label with this recipe. You’ll find a printer-friendly version at the bottom of this page. It’s adapted from Feasting Not Fasting.

Ingredients:

1 jumbo red onion, or two smaller ones

1 or 2 small fresh jalapeño peppers

2 limes

1 orange

1 Tbsp salt

½ tsp sugar

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Preparation:

1.) Slice the onion & jalapeño thinly. Remove the membranes and seeds from the jalapeño, unless you want a lot of heat. Set aside.

2.) Juice the limes and orange. You’ll need one-third cup of each juice. Combine the juices in a bowl with the salt, sugar, and vinegar; mix well. Set aside.

3.) Fill a pot with water, and bring to a boil. Drop the sliced onions & jalapeño into the water. After 30 seconds, drain them & run under cold water to cool. Drain thoroughly.

4.) Stir the drained vegetables into the juice mixture; refrigerate for 1 – 24 hours. (I liked them best at one to two hours, but they’re still delicious the next day.)