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Simple Uses for Onions

 

When you have a large crop of onions from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include them in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use them up before they go bad without getting sick of them.  You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.


Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple!  Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve onions:


  • Add them to egg dishes like omelets and quiches.

  • Use them as a soup base.

  • Make a simple soup with onions, bok choy, and peppers.  Any onions will work, but green onions are especially delicious in this soup.  The peppers can be sweet, like bell peppers, or hot, like chili or jalapeño peppers.

  • Add them to other soups and broths.


  • Sauté or stirfry them with bell peppers and chicken to make simplified fajitas.

  • Add them to other sautés, stirfry, and savory bakes anytime you want a little zing.


  • Make a casserole with green beans, mushrooms, and goat cheese.

  • Make infused vinegar.  This is a great way to preserve the onions and their mineral content.  Infused vinegar can be used as a whole or partial salad dressing, among other uses.  You can also experiment with adding herbs like oregano or thyme to the onions and vinegar while infusing.

  • Make onion honey.  Herbal honey is a delicious way to preserve the herbal properties of your onions, extend their shelf life, and get benefits of honey too.  Sound like a strange flavor combination?  It's sweeter than you think!

  • Cure the onions to preserve them.  Then store them in a dry place out of direct sunlight, ideally with a temperature of 45-55°F.  Onions stored this way can last for 6-12 months.


  • Dehydrate them in a food dehydrator to preserve them and later add to salads, meat dishes, and casseroles at a later date.



Further Reading

Growing onions?  Check out these quick facts like their best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.


Onions are also featured in these articles:


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