How to properly cut onions into cubes, rings and strips

Onions are among the most popular and widely used vegetables in cooking. It is used to prepare savory snacks, used in soups and salads, meat and fish dishes, and added to pickles for the winter. We will look at how to properly cut onions for various dishes in this article.

Features of onion slicing

The choice of the appropriate shredding method depends on the purpose of using the vegetable. So, for soups and mixed salads, turnips are usually cut into small cubes, for serving as an independent dish - into rings or half rings. Professional chefs can turn an ordinary onion into a work of art, giving it the shape of a chrysanthemum or rose, or arranging numbers and letters from caramelized rings.

To properly chop an onion, it is worth studying its structure.

Onions have a scaly structure:

• the top layer is dry and thin scales (husks) without taste;
• the inner layer is fleshy and juicy scales with a pronounced taste and strong aroma, designed to repel pests.

The more damage the knife causes to the juicy scales when cutting or peeling, the stronger the effect of the active substances on the mucous membrane of the eyes. Therefore, they work with the vegetable quickly enough, using a sharp knife and a smooth cutting board.

On a note! When peeling a vegetable, the husk is not completely torn off from the root: it will be more convenient to hold the turnip when chopping.

Half rings and rings

Vegetables, chopped into rings and half rings, are added to salads, the ingredients of which are not pre-mixed. This form of onion slicing is suitable for garnishing, marinating and caramelizing, and will decorate kebabs and herring.

Preparation

It is desirable that the selected turnip be round or oval. Dents and irregularities will not only make cutting difficult, but will also make the resulting rings and half-rings uneven in circumference and layer thickness.

The peeled vegetable is thoroughly washed and 0.5–1 cm of the top is cut off with a sharp knife.

Further actions depend on the shredding method.

Which cutting to choose: orbital or pole-wise

The main difference between them is in the direction of the cut:

1. With the orbital method, they are made across the bulb, parallel to the top, right down to the root. The thickness of the strips varies from 0.1 mm to 1-2 cm depending on the needs of the cook.
2. In the second method, cuts are made along the vegetable in the direction from the top to the root. The ideal thickness of the strips is about 1 cm. It is not practical to make thinner rings along the poles.

With orbital chopping, the onion breaks down into small pieces according to the number of layers and has a particularly strong aroma. Therefore, it is chosen if small pieces of vegetables with a pronounced taste and smell go into the dish.

When slicing along the poles, you get semicircular, almost intact strips with a mild aroma. This method is preferable when onions are considered as an independent snack or the dish should not have a pronounced bitter taste.

Rings or half rings

Rings are obtained only by orbital cutting from a whole turnip, otherwise they will lose their integrity.

The procedure for chopping onion rings:

1. The bulb is washed and peeled, leaving it on the root.
2. To prevent the vegetable from rolling on the board, a circle up to 0.5–0.7 cm thick is cut from one side of it with a sharp knife, forming a stable “base.”
3. Holding the turnip tightly with your free hand, use a sharp knife to cut rings of the required thickness parallel to the top.
4. The rings are manually disassembled into separate circles of different diameters.

The procedure for cutting onions into half rings:

1. The vegetable along with the husk is cut with a sharp knife from top to root strictly in half.
2. Both halves are laid on a flat board with the cuts down.
3. One part is peeled, leaving it on the root.
4. Using a sharp knife, form half rings of the required thickness (pole and orbital cutting is acceptable).
5. The root along with the husk is removed.
6. Repeat the steps with your other half.

Cubes

Diced onions are used in mixed salads, soups, meat gravies and similar dishes.

Preparation

For such slicing, the size and shape of the turnip are not particularly important: even an irregularly shaped vegetable with dents and minor damage, which is first removed with a sharp knife, is chopped into cubes.

Advice! To peel the onion faster, keep it in boiling water for about 1 minute.

The turnip is thoroughly washed, the top is removed (0.5–1 cm), cut strictly in half from top to root and placed on a cutting board. One of the halves is freed from the husk without tearing it off from the root, and with a sharp knife they are chopped along the poles from the root to the top. Repeat for the other part.

Medium and large cubes

To cut onions into large cubes, make them 1.5-2 cm wide, medium - 0.5-1.5 cm.

The board with the onion cut along the poles is turned 90° and chopped in an orbital manner (parallel to the top) with a suitable layer thickness, holding it with a free hand if necessary.At the end of the shredding, the root and husk are removed.

Small cubes

These are considered pieces with a side length of no more than 0.5–0.7 cm.

For this onion:

1. Grind according to the poles with the required layer thickness.
2. Hold tightly with your free hand and make several longitudinal cuts parallel to the cutting board.
3. Shred in an orbital manner.

If very small cuts (minced meat) are required, then the cubes are collected on a board in a heap and chopped with a knife in several passes.

Straws

To chop an onion into strips, cut it strictly in half from top to root, remove the root and top. Then they chop it along the poles with a sharp knife. Feather thickness is selected according to use: for salads - as thin as possible, for soups and stews - coarser.

If necessary, chopped feathers are disassembled into semicircles of different diameters.

For frying and soup

For soup and second courses, it is better to cut the onion into cubes of various sizes.

No less popular is the method in which the vegetable is washed, peeled, the top and root are cut off and the whole thing is placed in a pan with the dish being prepared. At the end cooking or “infusion” they take out the turnip. This allows her to convey all her taste to the dish. So to people who don't like boiled onion, you won't have to eat it.

Precautionary measures

The main problem with chopping onions is their burning effect on the eyes.

Interesting! When the integrity of cells is compromised, the amino acids in them, under the influence of enzymes, are converted into the volatile compound 1-sulfinylpropane. It interacts with the tear fluid of the eyes, resulting in the formation of sulfuric acid, which irritates the mucous membrane, leads to tearing and pain.

Ways to reduce the burning effect of a vegetable:

• use sharp knives and smooth cutting boards;
• hold the onion pieces tightly together, minimizing their disintegration when slicing;
• “cover” the slices, for example, by placing a turnip on a board with them;
• chop while standing, not sitting: this will increase the distance between the onion and the eyes;
• constantly lower the knife into cold water;
• first keep the onions in the refrigerator or freezer (no more than 15 minutes);
• buy vegetables red or purple in color: they are less hot and have a milder taste.

Tips and tricks

To make it easier to peel large quantities of onions, pre-keep them in cold water for 5 minutes.

A chopped vegetable not used in a dish will retain its flavor, crunch, and integrity if you wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. The shelf life of such a product does not exceed 3–5 days.

Finely chopped vegetables are frozen for several months, until the next season. The slices are laid out in portions in plastic bags and placed in the freezer.

Conclusion

A vegetable chopped into rings or large strips, despite its attractive appearance, is not very convenient for an independent dish. Cubes of different sizes fit easily into cutlery and do not cause difficulties when consumed. Each shredding method is suitable for both ordinary dishes and festive feasts.