Thursday, September 17, 2015

Freezing Onions in Three Sizes for Saute, Stir-Fry and Roasting


I use onions in my cooking often. Over the years I have come up with the quickest way to freeze them already cut into the sizes I need for my cooking. 
 
My neighbors had an overage of onions in their garden this year. They were gracious to share with me. 

I usually purchase onions by the bag in season and then freeze them into usable sizes so that when I cook, I can just take a baggie of the size I need out of the freezer and throw it into the mix rather than having to take the time to clean and cut one each time. 
 
I don't like having things aging on my counter or in my fridge or garage. I used to keep onions until I needed them but eventually, they would start sprouting and get smelly if not used quickly enough. In the winter, they would freeze and then go mushy if I left them in the garage. 







I have used this method for years and LOVE having them handy and ready to use. Since I am cooking them anyway, having them be frozen doesn't matter as they get soft anyway. 
 
I have dried onions in the past as I am a big dehydrator fan and dehydrate everything but I like the flavor and texture of the frozen onions better than dried when cooking / frying or baking anything so I continue to do them this way.
 

I do like the dehydrated ones for tuna sandwiches and I also use them when I am making rice as I like the smaller size and flavor they add to the mix. Other than that, I use the frozen onions in most things I cook. 
 
I cut them into three sizes. I use the french fry cutter to make them into small squares but they look like fries when you cut them but once you start cooking them, they break apart into smaller squares. I use them in stir-fry or casseroles. 
 
The second size is sliced. It is what I use when I am making steak and eggs. It is a good size for liver and onions as well. 
 
The third size I make is quarters for roasts. If the onion is large, I cute them in thinner wedges. 

I bag them in two or three baggies or use my sealer to seal them. I then bag them into larger bags to keep the onion smell out of the freezer. 
 
I have over three gallons of onions now in three different sizes for the winter. I am grateful to kind neighbors who share wonderful produce with us.             

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