PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• 1. Put on a kettle of water to boil. Cut the onion into very thin slices or a mince and place it in a colander in the sink.
• 2. In a bowl large enough to comfortably fit all the onion, combine the vinegar, sweetener, and salt and whisk until blended.
• 3. Pour the boiling water over the onion and shake to drain. (It's fine if a little water still clings.)
• 4. Add the onion to the vinegar solution and stir to coat. Let it sit for at least an hour or up to several days, covered and refrigerated, occasionally stirring and/or shaking to allow maximum exposure to the liquid. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
• Optional Enhancements
• For beautiful, exotic pickled fruit, add fresh or frozen cherries, blueberries, or raspberries-or some small watermelon chunks-to the onion after the first hour of sitting time * Add any of the following to the pickle mixture: Raw broccoli stems, peeled and cut into slender matchsticks * Raw fennel, cut into thin slices * Lightly steamed carrot slices * Lightly steamed cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets