Preparation of Onions
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Peel onions under water to reduce eye irritation.
If onions are strong, soak them in boiling water with ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda for 30 minutes.
Cook and use
Drain and boil onions in salted water for 1 to 2 hours, changing the water if desired.
Reserve coarser outer layers for flavoring soups and use tender center for salads.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Onions
- Supply the main flavor, and cooking softens their texture and mellows their sharpness.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Raises the pH of the soaking water, which helps the onion soften and changes its texture.
The step that matters
Soaking in bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda makes the onion more alkaline, which can soften it and reduce sharpness. Too much, or too long a soak, can leave a soapy taste and a mushy texture, so measure it carefully and follow the 30-minute soak.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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