At a luncheon today a student told me that one of the most valuable skills she had learned from me was how to chop an onion. This made me very happy and inspired me to write a short post on this subject.
Onions (and other member of their family like shallots and garlic) can be quickly, easily and safely prepared for their various roles in recipes–if you know the right way to approach the job. Click here to watch a really good video from Fine Cooking Magazine to learn all about it.
When only part of an onion is chopped, there is the question of how to store the unused remainder. The container must not only hold the onion, but also prevent its strong odor from escaping into the fridge. Formerly I rejected plastic bags and film because they did not contain the odor, and my preferred way of achieving this was to use a large glass peanut butter jar. This was wide enough to accommodate half of a large onion, plus more of the other half if necessary. Last week I found a wonderful bargain in a bin at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Unlike other plastic containers that I’ve tried, this one really does the job and it takes up much less room than the jar!
The onion keeper in the top photo is made by Hutzler, which also makes a similar product with a point that resembles the top of an onion. I haven’t tried this one, but if I couldn’t find one like the purple and clear version, I’d certainly give it a try!
Thanks Evie.
Quite a bit fearful I will chop off my fingers, so will have to practice very carefully! Will see how I do when making potato kugel tomorrow. Great tip. Thanks for sharing.
You are the best!!! And the greatest at sharing all things helpful and delicious. I look forward to each and every single blog you publish! Thank YOU!!! LOve, Flo Braker
Sweet Cakes – You will truly find that practice makes perfect with this skill. Something not mentioned in the onion video is the way to hold your knife. Here’s a link to a video that demonstrates this very clearly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y-3kczNL78 . I hope this is helpful.
Flo – Thank you my dear friend for your support and encouragement; this is truly how I ended up with a blog on the Internet! May we always be able to share our passion for baking, cooking and all things culinary!
I still want to take a knife skills class, but first I need to get my knives sharpened. And I haven’t had a HUGE problem with onion odor leaking out of plastic bags, but the next time I have an empty jar large enough to use I will try that instead.
Thanks Mom!
Whatever works for you is good! If you go by BB & B, take a look at the onion holders. They are so cute and certainly occupy less space in the fridge. The price can’t be beat with one of the coupons!