Topic: how to freeze onions?

[Annemieke]

This year many of our onions have got something like mould or rot at the stem side. We've cut off the bad bits, and wonder what to do with the rest: is it best to freeze them chopped raw, or saute them first? The latter seems best to me, but I can't explain why.
In the past my husband used to make beautiful plaits with them and hung them in his shed .....

[peanuts]

You can do both, it just depends on what you might want to use them for.  I don't usually have room in the freezer for onions, but I have food-processed them to cut them up very small, and frozen them in  bags in small quantities, for use later

[Jeannine]

I freeze lost , chopped and ready to use, they are one of the few things I don't blanch. Sometimes I freeze what I call stew packs too, with onions, carrotts, swede etc in then if making a stew I just grab a bag. Also I run them through my food processor along with carrotts etc and if making a soup that I don't want big chunks in I have a bag of chopped fine veggies all ready to go.

XX Jeannine

[Duke Ellington]

I don't blanch onions either. I chop them and bag them and put them in the freezer. I know this might seem lazy but sometimes it's lovely to grab a bag of frozen chopped onion and not have peel and chop a fresh one.

[shirlton]

Had to freeze nearly all of our kelsae this year as they were rotting on the bottom. We didn't put them in a sunny enough spot. I chopped  the. Double bagged them and bagged them all again and still the smell was permiating the food in the freezer. We had cakes with a hint of onion. If I do it again then I will have to make sure that everything else in the freezer is savoury.

[manicscousers]

We chop and bag all the 'gone to seed' onions and freeze, very handy when you're in a rush. Just made lots of potato cakes with some and some scabby potatoes and frozen them, too. Love this time of year 

[gavinjconway]

I just chop and freeze as is.. no blanching. Use for soups and stews..

[steve76]

Ooooo never heard of freezing potatoes?? at what stage do you freeze them ie- raw and peeled or blanched or fully cooked and what do you use them for after as stews or mash???

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Thanks steve.

[gavinjconway]

Ooooo never heard of freezing potatoes?? at what stage do you freeze them ie- raw and peeled or blanched or fully cooked and what do you use them for after as stews or mash???

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Thanks steve.

I think its the potato cakes that have been frozen - not the spuds..

[steve76]

ops should really read the posts properly sorry

[tricia]

Steve - I frequently freeze potatoes. I buy a 1kg bag of 'baby' potatoes and can never use them all before they rot so I steam them (skin on) in my microwave steamer for a couple of minutes - depending on quantity - cool them in iced water, freeze them on a tray for a couple of hours then bag them up. When I want to use some I dunk them in water for a minute so that the peel is easy to rub off and either roast them or steam them till cooked (lovely with butter!).

Tricia

[Annemieke]

Thanks all - I sauteed them anyway because somehow that felt better and I always sautee onions anyway when I use them.

I buy a 1kg bag of 'baby' potatoes and can never use them all before they rot

In my  experience potatoes don't normally rot if you keep them in a paper bag in a cool place - not the fridge. They should only dry out.
Love A.

[bridbod]

My brother in law chopped a load of onions last year and put them in the freezer. Unfortunately there was a tub of ice cream in there as well. Lets say, when it came to eating the ice cream, it definately had more than a hint of onion (yuk). How onion vapour can travel through plastic is beyond me.