Onions 101

Eat Up!
Cooked or raw, onions add depth and excitement to dishes.

Spring and red onions bring color and flavor to salads, salsa and guacamole.
Sweet onions are best when eaten raw or only slightly cooked, making them perfect additions to hamburgers, sandwiches and fresh salads.
To sauté onions, heat skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to coat bottom of pan. Add thinly sliced or chopped onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
To caramelize onions, first heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat with 2 teaspoons of butter. Add 2 pounds of thinly sliced onions and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered until onions are soft and brown, about 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. If pan becomes dry, add a few tablespoons of vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper.

Kitchen Tricks

To prevent watery eyes when cutting an onion, chill it for an hour before chopping. This helps slow down the movement of allyl sulfate, the enzyme responsible for producing tears.
When cutting a dry onion, chop off the top and slice in half through the root. (Leaving the root intact makes chopping easier.) Remove skin and place halves flat-side down on a cutting board. Slice to make uniform half-moon slices.
To take the onion smell out of a wooden cutting board, wash it with a paste made from baking soda and a few drops of distilled vinegar. Rinse with warm water. Season the dried board with mineral oil.

Onion Recipes:
Creamy Green Onion Soup
Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Mushroom Pasta
Barbecue Tofu and Vidalia Onion Stir-Fry

Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).

2 of 2
back to page 1

Read more: Basics, Eating for Health, Food, onions, vegetables

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Ro H.

1:55PM PST on Jan 27, 2013

yum

January 27
send a green star

Malgorzata Z.

12:25PM PST on Jan 26, 2013

Dzięki. Mnie cebula pomaga na obrzęki stawów. Gotuję ją całą i dość gorącą przykładam do bolącego stawu zwykle na noc.

January 26
send a green star

Marie W.

10:19PM PST on Jan 19, 2013

Never have enough onions.

January 19
send a green star

D D.

10:13PM PST on Jan 19, 2013

I cook with onions almost every day!

Dana W.

10:08PM PST on Jan 19, 2013

Chilling an onion really helps!

KrassiAWAY B.

8:32AM PDT on Jul 16, 2011

Thanks for sharing.

July 16
send a green star

Michael K.

5:09PM PDT on Jul 14, 2011

Onions, mushrooms; peppers and zucchini are the staples in my kitchen; and the occasional egg plant and fresh tomatoes. I use a blend of long grain and wild rice with a touch of turmeric.