How to preserve onions for the winter and can they be frozen?
If you have a lot of onions growing on your site and you don’t know what to do with the harvest, try freezing it. In this form, the product will definitely not spoil, and it will be even more convenient to use. We will talk about all the nuances of such storage in the article.
Is it possible to freeze onions for the winter?
For different types of onions, the technology for preparing for freezing and general recommendations differ. Let's look at this in more detail.
Green
The feathers are separated from the head: wilted parts of the plant are not suitable for storage. Greenery wash and dry thoroughly: otherwise, when frozen, it will turn into an ice lump. It can be crushed if desired.
Bulb
Debates about whether it's worth freeze onions, remain relevant today. Some people believe that because of the smell, it should not be stored near any other foods. There is an opinion that a frozen “turnip” turns into a “glassy”, watery and soft mass.
The above troubles will not happen if you approach the process competently. Heads are selected without surface stains or signs of rot. The maximum cutting thickness is 1 cm. Store onions only in small portions, leaving a little free space in the bags, because the frozen product increases in volume.
Leek
This type of onion tastes much softer and sweeter, so freezing it brings less trouble. Some housewives are accustomed to throwing away the upper leaves of the plant due to its fibrous structure.However, they contain the maximum amount of useful substances.
After cleaning, the stems are cooled at a temperature of about 0°C. In a few hours leek put them in plastic bags - no more than 8 pieces in one bag - and put them in the freezer.
Schnitt
This is an excellent seasoning for a wide variety of dishes. Before freezing chives washed well and dried under natural conditions. Rubbing with a towel will damage the delicate feathers: this will cause the unique aroma to disappear.
Chop the product with a knife to the size you are used to using when preparing dishes. The slices in the bag are placed in a horizontal layer: this way the freezing will take place evenly.
Basic rules for freezing onions for the winter
If you follow simple recommendations, the freezing process is noticeably simplified and its efficiency increases.
- Vegetables can be frozen at any time of the year, not only in winter.
- An important storage condition is tightly closed containers. Excess air creates unnecessary moisture, which causes onions to become unnecessarily cold and spoiled.
- If the preparations are made at different times, the date is indicated on the packages.
- Products are stored at a temperature of -18°C.
- It is not worth keeping the preparation in the freezer for longer than 6 months: after six months the vegetable will completely lose its beneficial properties.
How to choose the right onions and prepare the freezer
For freezing, choose juicy greens - elastic feathers of a dark green color. Pay special attention to the white tips. If the greens begin to deteriorate, this means that they have been standing in water for several days. There is no benefit or vitamins in such a product: it is simply saturated with moisture, which is why it seems fresh. Turnips are taken of any size, without signs of spoilage.
Reference. A “mix” of greens is popular among housewives: dill, parsley, basil, and cilantro are added to a bag of onions to taste.
The optimal temperature regime is -16…-20°C.
Methods for freezing onions at home
Housewives practice a lot of ways to quickly and easily prepare onions for freezing. There are options for all occasions.
Overall
The method is practically not used, since its feasibility is highly questionable. After all, a whole unpeeled onion can be safely stored in a special vegetable section of the refrigerator and even at room temperature.
If housewives accidentally cleaned more heads than necessary, the remainder can be frozen. In the future it will be suitable for cooking broth. Defrosting is achieved by blanching. Place the onion in a container of boiling water for a few minutes.
Sliced in a bag
One of the most popular methods. This way the product retains all its properties. Air is first removed from bags prepared for storage. It is best to use special bags with a zipper, but if you don’t have any, the most ordinary ones will do.
Fried in oil
If the onion has lost its structure, the product is frozen fried. They prefer olive or refined sunflower oil. Sliced onion fry until golden brown, wait for it to cool completely, and then store it in the freezer in airtight containers.
In ice trays
You will also need oil for storage in molds. The onion is passed through a meat grinder or chopped in a blender. The resulting puree is laid out into “squares”, 1 tsp is added to each of them. vegetable oil. Onion cubes will be ready in 5-7 hours.After this, they are transferred to a container, and a new batch is placed in the molds to freeze.
In a plastic bottle
The bottle has several advantages. This is a free and airtight container, and the chopped product easily passes through the neck - an excellent solution for storing finely chopped onions.
To make it easier to pour in the slices, wrap the neck with food foil and form a funnel out of it. Do not compact the onion as tightly as possible.
Shelf life of frozen onions
The shelf life of frozen onions is 2-6 months: it all depends on the preparation method and temperature. Optimal storage conditions are -18°C.
How to defrost onions correctly
Most often, the frozen product is added to a hot dish, which is then brought to a boil again. But there are times when onions are needed in a defrosted state.
Defrost in several ways:
- in the refrigerator compartment;
- in cold water;
- at room temperature;
- microwave defrost function.
Remember that when exposed to heat, some of the beneficial properties of the vegetable disappear, so the latter method is extremely undesirable.
Where can you use frozen onions?
The preparation is used as a pie filling and added to soups, omelettes, casseroles and cutlets. If the onions are frozen as a puree, they make an excellent sandwich spread.
After defrosting, the vegetable is not suitable for salads, as it loses its crispy structure - this is a disadvantage of the method.
Recommendations from experienced housewives
When freezing onions, remember that they will have a fairly strong odor for the first few weeks. There is a risk that other products will be saturated with it.Therefore, experienced housewives advise freezing onions in a separate empty drawer in the freezer. When the product freezes well, other vegetables will “take root” next to it.
It is worth refusing to re-freeze and take out exactly as much onion as you plan to spend at a time. As a result of contact with air, the taste is lost, and re-freezing becomes pointless.
Some housewives cut onions for freezing and first lay them out in one layer in a deep plate or tray, cover them with cling film and put them in the freezer for several hours. And then they take it out and pour it into special storage bags. This way the vegetable freezes faster and better.
Conclusion
The opinion that onions cannot be frozen is wrong. Both bulbs and greens tolerate low temperatures well and, if simple recommendations are followed, fully retain their beneficial properties.