Toning Down Raw Onion’s Bite | Cook's Illustrated (2024)
We’ve often heard the claim that soaking sliced or chopped raw onions in liquid can mellow their harsh taste by drawing out the pungent sulfur compounds known as thiosulfinates that are produced when the onion is cut. But what kind of liquid and how long of a soak? We tested three of the most commonly recommended liquids—water, milk, and vinegar—by soaking the cut onions in each for 5 and 15 minutes. We found that 15 minutes was necessary for any of the treatments to be effective. The vinegar soak did rid the onions of much of their burn, but it was replaced by an equally strong sour taste, even after thorough rinsing. Milk was also very effective at removing the sulfur compounds, but it left the onions tasting washed-out. The best method—better than even plain water—was our own: a baking-soda solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water). Unlike the other methods, which merely do their best to leach away the offending sulfur compounds, the alkaline baking soda neutralizes sulfenic acid, the immediate precursor to the harsh-tasting thiosulfinates, and prevents them from forming in the first place. Just be sure to rinse the onions thoroughly before using to remove any soapy baking-soda taste.
Just peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then submerge them in a bowl of cold or ice water.Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.
"A chopped onion quickly pickled in water, vinegar for a few minutes, or any kind of acid will dissolve the enzymes and leach them out of the onion," says Patel. If you're against really strong onions, stick with mild varieties like white or Vidalia onions, shallots, or shallots.
Then you just have to wait long enough for the vinegar to do its job, rinsing away the harsh sulfurous compounds, softening the onion, and giving it a pleasantly tart pop of flavor. If you use red wine vinegar, my personal favorite, the onions also turn an amazing hot-pink color.
When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. Squeeze out excess water before using.
Soaking the onions helps dilute their sulfur content, taking away that pungent, raw bite and leaving you with a pleasant, milder onion that still has some snap to it. Cuisine At Home also recommends maintaining ultimate crispiness by double-dipping the onions in buttermilk and seasoned flour.
Another way to balance the strong taste of onions is by adding a touch of acidity to the soup. Squeeze in some lemon or lime juice, or add a splash of vinegar to cut through the onion flavor.
"Water, a quick pickle of cut onion in vinegar for a few minutes, or any kind of acid will also dissolve the enzymes and take the bite out of the onion," says Patel. And if you're really against using strong onions, stick to a milder variety such as white or Vidalia onions, shallots, or spring onions.
Give it an ice bath! #coldplunge Take your sliced up onions and pop them into a chilly bath for a few minutes. As they sit in there, the icy water helps mellow out that raw onion flavor we all know lingers on our breath - making it way more palatable.
Baking soda makes the onions more alkaline, which speeds up the browning reactions necessary for properly caramelized onions. But it also weakens the pectin that holds the onion's cells together, turning what should be soft but distinct pieces of browned onion into a nauseating stew of pea-green mush.
Lemon juice works to remove onion smell due to its acid level. This is why vinegar is also a solution, as well as tomato juice, celery juice, mustard, and rubbing alcohol. Any of these can be put onto a wet towel, and used to scrub while you run water over your hands.
You can get rid of the strong taste by soaking sliced onions in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes or by sprinkling them with an acid such as vinegar. Onions soaked in ice water will get very crisp while those sprinkled with vinegar will soften a bit, but they will lose the strong taste and become sweeter.
After you have cut your onions, try putting them in cold water. Soak them for at least 15 minutes (longer is even more beneficial), properly drain, and eat away! Submerging them in cold water takes away that intense, sharp bite from the raw onion.
Some people swear by drinking onion water to fight cold and flu symptoms. The idea may be that if onions can fight off inflammation and kill bacteria and viruses (at least in test tubes), onion water is a good way to get a potent dose. But there's no research to back up that idea.
The answer is to blanch the onions in boiling water for 10–20 seconds, and then dry them in a colander or kitchen towel (especially if you plan to fry them in oil). This quick blanching gets most of the sulphur compounds out of the onion, leaving them sweeter tasting with very little sulphur aroma.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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