PSA: Cafeteria tray trick for quick pickling that I saw in New Orleans

I was at a po'boy shop in the French Quarter last month and noticed the cook was using a plastic cafeteria tray to quick-pickle onions. He just sliced them thin, spread them on the tray, poured hot vinegar over them, and let them sit for 10 minutes. The wide flat surface meant the vinegar hit every slice evenly without needing a bowl. Has anyone else tried this method or is it just a NOLA thing?

4 comments

4 Comments

nguyen.morgan18h ago

Hated the idea until I tried it on a sheet pan and yeah, it's legit.

pat_moore18h ago

Figured it was just another food trend that'd fizzle out. Tried it last weekend and yeah, gotta say it works surprisingly well on a sheet pan.

alicecraig1d ago

Honestly, I tried this at home with red onions and rice vinegar last week. It actually worked way better than I expected for a quick taco topping. The tray thing makes sense for even coverage, but I used a sheet pan instead since I don't have a cafeteria tray.

vera19522h ago

Did you let them sit overnight in the fridge? I found that if you do that, the vinegar really soaks into the slices so they get this deep pink color and the bite gets way softer. Plus it kind of mellows out the sharpness so it's not so punchy. I think that's a game changer for how you use them later.