Can You Freeze Onions? Yes – And Here’s How

Fresh onions last quite a long time in the cupboard or fridge. So freezing onions is a last resort method. In this article, we’ll take a look at what you should keep in mind when freezing onions.

We’ve all experienced it: a recipe calls for half an onion, and you have no idea what to do with the rest. You can always choose to ignore the recipe and use the whole onion, of course. But if you like following recipes exactly, simply store the leftover onion in a resealable container in the fridge. It’ll stay good for another two to three days.

But can you also freeze onions? Keep reading.

Can You Freeze Whole Onions?

The question we’ve all been asking when having leftover onions. And the answer is yes, you can freeze onions. But here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• You should not freeze onions in whole pieces. Why? It takes longer for larger pieces to freeze, and subsequently defrost when you take them out of the freezer. Therefore, cut your onion into small pieces before you freeze them to save yourself the hassle when you defrost them.
• Frozen onions become mushy when they thaw out, making them suitable only for cooking and frying.

Put Onion Skins Back to Use: 5 Useful Tricks

Onion skins are almost always bound for the trash or compost. Believe it or not, these vegetable scraps are incredibly…

Read more

2 Easy Ways Freeze Onions

1. Spread the onion pieces out on a tray and then place them in the freezer. Once frozen, you can put them into a resealable container and take out the portions you need. This ensures the pieces won’t stick together and will be less mushy when thawed. The downside is that it takes up a lot of space and the smell can spread across your freezer.

2. Put sliced onions in ice cube trays and freeze them that way. This is great because you can add frozen diced onions directly to your cooking when you need them. While this saves space, it can also cause the strong onion odor to spread.

Conclusion: if your onions are on the verge of spoiling, you should freeze them to avoid unnecessary food waste. Choose whichever method suits you best. We recommend storing onions in the fridge and using them up in a timely manner, but if you can’t, use your freezer!

** Links to retailers marked with ** or underlined orange are partially partner links: If you buy here, you actively support Utopia.org, because we will receive a small part of the sales proceeds. More info.

Tags: Cooking Green Living Natural Practical Tips Recipes