Mixed red onion and lemon pickle

We have finished the pickled fennel I did recently, and I fancied some different pickles. Having a good look around the kitchen, I picked two fat red onions and a lemon.

Mixed red onion and lemon pickles
Ingredients:
2 medium to big-sized red onions
1 medium lemon
1/2tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3tsp ground turmeric
1 bay leaf
200ml cyder vinegar
150ml water
125g caster sugar
3tbsp sea salt

Slice everything thinly. If you have a mandoline slicer, it will take you a couple of minutes. I love my OXO Good Grips mandoline slicer, I have already mentioned it more than once, but it's certainly doing its job very well, and I have been using it a lot this summer for salads and pickles. The slices are all uniformly thin, you can vary the thickness, and it takes a very short time to slice a big hill of veggies.

In a small saucepan heat up the mixture of cyder vinegar (I love Aspall for its clean flavour) with water, fennel seeds, ground cloves, turmeric (not just for flavour but for a hint of colour too), bay leaf, caster sugar and sea salt, simmer on low until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pack the red onion and lemon slices in a big sterilised jar, by alternating the layers (a few slices of lemon followed by a handful of onion slices, etc). Pack them well in, you might need to squash them a bit. Then pour the brine while still hot. Close the jar with the lid, and let to pickle for 24 hours before eating.
These pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but not longer, that's why I don't make a huge amount. Just enough to have with sandwiches or cold meats, or in salads for several days.