Onions are an essential ingredient for many dishes. They add aroma, flavor, and color to soups, salads, roasts, and appetizers.
But when peeling and cutting onions, many people experience an unpleasant phenomenon - watery eyes and a burning sensation in the eyes.
This happens because onions secrete a caustic juice that irritates the mucous membranes.
How to get rid of this discomfort? It turns out that there is a simple and effective way - put the onion in the freezer.
How to Freeze Onions
There are different ways to freeze onions, depending on what you're going to use them for. Here are a few options.
• If you want to freeze onions for first courses, then cut them into small cubes or half rings and put them in portions in thick zip-lock bags. Release the air from the bags and put them in the freezer in neat stacks. Such onions can be added directly to boiling broth without defrosting.
• If you want to freeze onions for frying or baking, cut them into rings or half rings and fry them in a pan until golden brown. Transfer the fried onions to a plate and let them cool. Then put them in bags or containers and place them in the freezer. These onions can be used for frying, sauces, side dishes or fillings.
• If you want to freeze onions for making onion rings, cut them into neat rings and roll them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Place the rings on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put them in the freezer until completely frozen. Then transfer the rings to bags or containers and store in the freezer until use. Such rings can be deep-fried without defrosting.
What are the benefits of frozen onions
Frozen onions have several advantages over fresh ones.
• It does not cause tears when peeling and cutting. To do this, just put the onion in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before use. It will cool down a little and will not release acrid juice.
• It saves time when cooking. You can chop or fry the required amount of onion in advance and freeze it in portions. This way, you will always have a ready-made ingredient for different dishes on hand. You will not have to peel and chop onions every time you are in a hurry or tired.
• It retains its beneficial properties and taste. Frozen onions do not lose their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They also do not change their color and aroma. The only thing is that they become softer and more watery, so it is better to use them for heat treatment, not for salads.
How to Defrost Frozen Onions
Frozen onions can be defrosted in a variety of ways, depending on how you plan to use them:
• If you want to add onions to soup or broth, you don’t need to defrost them. Just put the required amount of onions from the bag into boiling water and cook until done.
• If you want to fry the onion in a frying pan or in the oven, you don’t need to defrost it either. Just put the required amount of onion from the bag on a preheated frying pan or baking sheet and fry until golden brown.
• If you want to use the onion for salads or other cold dishes, you need to defrost it at room temperature. To do this, put the required amount of onion from the bag into a bowl or plate and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess liquid and use according to the recipe.
Now you know why you should put onions in the freezer and what benefits it brings. This simple method will help you get rid of tears when peeling onions, save time when cooking and preserve the beneficial properties and taste of this vegetable.
