Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [onions]

Use this tag for questions about selecting, identifying, storing, preparing, replacing or cooking with onion as a star ingredient.

Onions are a white or yellow root vegetable with a sharp sulfur taste when raw. When cooked, they can develop a darker color and sweeter flavor. Use this tag for questions about selecting, identifying, storing, preparing, replacing or cooking with onion as a star ingredient. Questions about dishes which include onion, but are not focused on onion, should not use this tag.

217 questions
15
votes
3 answers

How do I sweat onions?

A recipe calls for me to sweat finely chopped onions. What do I do, and why?
paprika
  • 530
  • 2
  • 4
  • 10
14
votes
11 answers

How should I fry onions without burning them?

Lots of recipes begin with something along the lines of "fry onions in oil until tender/soft/translucent". When I do this I often find that the onions end up burning before they have softened. What are the right things to do in order to fry them…
Rob Gilton
  • 287
  • 1
  • 2
  • 8
14
votes
7 answers

Can you develop an immunity to chopping onions causing tears?

I just chopped a particularly strong onion, I noticed some slight irritation but no tears. I realized then that onions haven't made me cry for years, decades even. I use all kinds of onions and take no special precaution to prevent tears. I don't…
Jolenealaska
  • 58,386
  • 30
  • 196
  • 321
14
votes
5 answers

Why do you need to fry onions and garlic before adding other ingredients to a dish?

I've been using an online Paella recipe that instructs you to sweat some onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic for a few minutes, followed by the vegetables, tomatoes, rice and stock. Is there a reason the onions need to be added and fried first…
Chris S
  • 427
  • 2
  • 5
  • 12
14
votes
8 answers

Substitute for onion sweetness?

I have a lamb stew recipe which I'm trying to adapt for my sister, who can't eat onions, garlic, or other alliums. Usually when I need to substitute for garlic or onion, I use a tiny amount of asafoetida, which works well enough for that strong…
Roddy of the Frozen Peas
  • 1,057
  • 12
  • 23
14
votes
2 answers

Why sweat but not brown?

Many recipes require that you sweat vegetables (celery, onions, etc). Why not saute them and brown them a little instead? Would not that develop the flavors even more? Why would you not want that?
Sly
  • 917
  • 4
  • 11
  • 19
13
votes
1 answer

How well does it work to just throw in all the ingredients and boil?

I'm wondering about this recipe. It tempts me because I'm really lazy. But I'm skeptical because I've always been taught to sauté onions first, then progressively add other ingredients, starting with those that take longer to cook, and saving water…
Alex Hall
  • 437
  • 6
  • 12
13
votes
4 answers

What's the difference between green, white, and red onions?

Being a north Indian, the only onions that I have used and seen others using are red onions. These are used in all Indian traditional dishes. I have seen green onions and white onions in the market sometimes (haven't noticed anyone purchasing them…
Aquarius_Girl
  • 7,275
  • 60
  • 155
  • 206
12
votes
1 answer

What happens to the flavour of meat when you cook it Star Anise with Onions?

What exactly is the chemical reaction that occurs when you cook Star Anise with Onions? According to Heston Blumenthal doing this intensifies the flavour of meat. Ultimately what I want to know is can you use this on any meat based recipe? Won't the…
Pram
  • 355
  • 1
  • 3
  • 9
12
votes
2 answers

How to store Onion

I've just harvested onions from my garden. I have quite a few and should last me about 3+ months. What is the best way to prepare the onions for storage and how should I store them so they last as long as possible.
B Z
  • 223
  • 1
  • 5
12
votes
3 answers

Is there a difference between green and spring onions?

I've seen some recipes call for green onions but always use spring onions? Is there a difference between them? Is there a better substitute?
rose
  • 867
  • 5
  • 10
  • 13
12
votes
1 answer

Why fry onions without oil and then add oil?

In several recipes I have seen lately, the instructions are to sautee onions and garlic without oil for a few minutes, and then add oil and continue until golden. If it's of any help, these are Ethiopian traditional recipes. I know that the two…
Carmi
  • 10,949
  • 6
  • 36
  • 63
12
votes
4 answers

Does it matter if I sauté onions for high liquid foods?

Many (most?) recipes ask that you sauté onions before adding other ingredients when making soups, stews, or other dishes that contain lots of liquid (as opposed to something like a stir fry). I'm not taking about caramelization -- I understand the…
Ron Trunk
  • 266
  • 2
  • 7
11
votes
2 answers

Why does my onion have very few, very thick layers, and a hollow center?

My girlfriend sliced into an onion this evening to find this, …this is weird to me. There are very few layers, the innermost layer was exceedingly thick, and it's hollow. For reference, I'm used to an onion looking like this: (apologies on the…
Thanatos
  • 213
  • 2
  • 6
11
votes
7 answers

Why do you marinade steak with onions?

Most recipes call for onions when marinading steak, but...why?
Pyrolistical
  • 736
  • 2
  • 9
  • 14
1 2
3
…
14 15