[CH] Onions and other stuff....
Sheryl Chatfield (CHATFIELD_SL@PENCO.com)
Mon, 14 Jun 1999 10:41:47 -0500
rom: cheryl crain <csc92@hotmail.com>
Subject: [CH] vidalia onions
i thought i read somewhere how to freeze vidalia onions.
We don't blanch or anything, just chop them finely, (by hand, or food processor
- I prefer by hand) and put in plastic freezer bags. Another idea, you could
portion out in ice cube trays, freeze in the trays, bag up the little 'cubes'
then thaw out individually as needed. Since onions have so much liquid, they
freeze pretty easily. I haven't noticed any decline in the flavor or texture
after thawing....
On chopping, cut the end off, take the outer peel off, cut in half, and cut
most, but not all of the way through in parallel lines that run 'end to end' and
'side to side.' (I know an onion is round...!) What you end up with is little
'squares, you can sit the onion on its 'side' and slice downward, it comes off
in neat little chopped pieces. Sorry I can't draw a picture...I always use
disposable plastic gloves with onions, even sweet onions..
while I'm on onions, Marcella Hazan, in "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"
(i think thats the title), suggests rinsing onions in water before serving raw.
She rinses, then discards the water and changes it a few times. I would only do
this with a more bitter, i.e., not a vidalia or other sweet, onion. Should also
improve digestibility. (Marcella also always, always, peels peppers, whether
grilled or raw. she states that the peel is bitter and will impart some bitter
flavor. If you have a sharp peeler for raw veges, I use the oxo good grips, you
can get the peels off any pepper of size, and, the peeled peppers tend to cook
down a little better than unpeeled...)
Maybe the last word on it - we get constant communication at work on viruses, so
if I already know, I just tab past it, its not a big enuf deal (in my mind) to
warrant the space (like this) and potential hurt feelings...what I find actually
annoying are those silly email 'chain' letters which manage to float around even
in what is supposed to be a professional environment...score another vote of
support to tantrika...