Recipe....hot pickled onions, from a pre-bought jar
Empty onions out and drain.
Keep the pickling vinegar.
Put the vinegar into a pot, and add a level teaspoonful of good chilli powder, a teaspoonful of salt and a good twist or ten of black pepper.
Add two heaped teaspoonfuls of sugar (I like soft brown, but any works)
Bring slowly up to a simmer, until all dissolved, put a lid on the pot and let it sit for ten minutes.
Put the onions back into the jar, and pour the hot-ish pickling liquid over them.
Put the cap back on the jar and seal tightly.
Set aside to cool down, marinate, etc., for at least a fortnight, shake daily.
Result; Hot onions. Heat as optional as your chilli powder.
You can use three or four decent dried chills instead if wished. If you remove the seeds you'll cut the heat a bit, while still giving decent taste.
If you peel a big head of garlic, or cut the top off and roast a whole one, put that into the bottom of the jar and pack in the onions.
The pickling vinegar will most likely be fine, but I'd add a pinch of salt, and a sprig of rosemary, maybe a bayleaf or two as well, then pour over the onions/garlic. Personally I think it's the better for the addition of a little brown sugar, but that's a personal taste thing.
For all their acidity, eating pickled onions with greasy food actually helps stop heartburn. It kind of tricks the stomach into thinking it's got enough acid as it is.
M