How to remove dirt from inside green/spring onions?

Question

I love spring onions (I believe they're called green onions in the US); I use them in salads and to add flavor.

The problem is, whenever I get them from the supermarket, they're filled with dirt. No matter how much I wash them, and spray water inside the little stalks, there is always a considerable amount of dirt inside.

I'm a little bit confused as to what I'm supposed to do with this.

Is there a way to clean the dirt from the green section, apart from doing something nutty such as cutting open each stalk?

Or are you supposed to just eat the dirt?

@ElendilTheTall Yeah so the water doesn't really flow very well.. Am I supposed to cut them so it becomes a tube? — CaptainCodeman, Jul 22 '14 at 13:31
I would shop at a different market, one that sells produce that's less filthy to begin with. How on earth does that much dirt get inside the stalks of the plant in the first place? A little, sure, but... — Yamikuronue, Jul 22 '14 at 13:57
@Yamikuronue It's because the stalks push up through the dirt as they grow. You see the same thing pretty often with leeks. — logophobe, Jul 22 '14 at 14:29

score 6 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 22 '14 at 14:34

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This occurs pretty often with leeks as well. The procedure there is to cut open the stalks lengthwise - i.e. one cut from top to bottom along the long axis. This allows you to fan apart the layers to ease out any trapped dirt.

You could do the same thing with your green onions, assuming you don't mind cutting them lengthwise. If you don't want to cut, you could try soaking them in a sink or pot full of clean water for a half hour or so, agitating them every now and again. The water should get down the stalk and at least loosen up any trapped dirt.

answered Jul 22 '14 at 14:34

logophobe

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Yes, I stopped eating leeks because I got tired of eating dirt! Thanks for the tip! :) – CaptainCodeman Jul 22 '14 at 15:42
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I always just cut my leeks into a bowl of water. The sliced leek floats at the top and all the soil sinks to the bottom. – buttlord Jul 22 '14 at 22:04

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 06 '16 at 13:25

Pull off old looking outside layers (If you have a problem with eating them)
Chop finely (transverse or at an angle)
Place in a basin of water and rub gently but thoroughly through your hands to loosen the pieces apart.
Allow to sit for a few minutes to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom.
Gently gather them from the top in your two hands and place in a colander. You could use a slotted spoon but hands work better. Don't just drain the basin-full into the colander or you'll mix up the spring-onions and dirt again.
Allow to sit and drain for a few minutes, pat dry if desired.

This method works well for leeks, lettuce etc. Slicing down the middle is an option, especially with leeks but will change the kind of cuts you can achieve and shouldn't really be necessary if you break the material apart with your hands properly.

score -2 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 17 '23 at 11:21

-2

I do always cut my stalks open and wash them in hot water.

edited Aug 17 '23 at 11:21

rumtscho

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answered Aug 15 '23 at 16:08

BeaCrawley

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The OP has already mentioned the option of individually cutting open the stalks for washing. Beyond that, this doesn’t seem to answer the question. – Sneftel Aug 15 '23 at 16:32

How to remove dirt from inside green/spring onions?

3 Answers3