Fermented Foods for Menopause gut health - Yucatán-Style Pickled Red Onions
Fermented foods such as this Mexican red onion pickle, contain high amounts of friendly bacteria and digestive enzymes. Maintaining a healthy gut flora is beneficial in helping with your digestion and overall energy levels.
Fermented foods may also improve the quality of your skin as many skin changes in menopause such as acne may be traced back to the gut, so if suffering menopause acne why not give this recipe a try.
Red onions are rich in folate AKA Vitamin B9, beneficial for cardiovascular health. They also contain vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.
Pair it with quinoa dishes, on top of hearty soups, as a relish with summer BBQs and salads.
Makes approximately 0.4 litre
Prep time 30 mins to overnight
We adapted this recipe from the Clean Program
Ingredients
1tbsp sea salt
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced lengthwise
1tsp whole black peppercorns
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
350ml red wine or apple cider vinegar
Optional ingredients:
1 sliced jalapeno or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1tsp yellow mustard seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Method
Place the sliced red onion in a Kilner jar.
In a small pan, heat the vinegar along with black pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Pour the hot vinegar spice mixture over the red onion, allow to cool. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight before using. As the onions rest they should turn a bright pink colour. This will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.