Chopped onion versus dried minced onion

Hmm, I wouldn't try to use it in French Onion Soup! For a Thursday night family meatloaf? Sure, that's why it exists. Follow the instructions on the jar regarding hydration.

I have to disagree with one of the lower posts , if you put dried onions on a steak, unless it in the juice on bottom for about 10 minutes, you are going to have crunch onions.

Also, the primary use, is when you want to have onion flavor, and still have a visible piece of onion, unlike just using onion powder.

I also find they have onion flavor with less onion stink and less of the bad onion flavor that makes your breath bad"

Also, I buy mine at Sams Club, and not in the little high priced jars at the regular supermarket and they are MUCH cheaper, they never rot in your drawer, nor, do you have half onions laying around getting moldy.

Don't get me wrong, I am not serving liver and onions with dried onions but for cooking purposes, meatloaf etc, they work well, and folks who are otherwise onion phobic, don't see big onion chunks, which makes them go yuck and refuse to eat the food.

It depends.

1. Dried minced onions are more expensive than fresh raw onions.

2. Raw onions should not be cooked to perfection. They should be put in ten minutes before serving, when the heat is just turned off. That would remove the biting taste without collapsing the body and crunchiness of the onion slices.

3. This probably does not apply to your situation, but just in case. Dried roasted onions should not be cooked or boiled with the food. They are to be sprinkled onto the steak after the heat is turned off, and sprinkled onto warm, but not hot, soup. That is to retain the flavour of the oil and roast of the onion slices. Some people have home roasted onions which they roast in chicken (or pork) lard and garlic. Recooking the onions would destroy the roasted lard flavour.

4. However, if you really do have a large amount of dried minced onions and you don't mind losing the flavour of the roasting (if they are also roasted) - my experience is that you will get a soup that is similar to having over-boiled/overcooked onions. My kitchen tradition (afa my mum was concerned) calls for onions to remain crunchy in soups and stir-fries. If that tradition is not yours, I guess it would make no difference flavour- and texture-wise.

I use minced onions ALL THE TIME. My youngest doesn't like to see fresh onions on his food even if they're cooked. He has some sort of phobia.

I always used minced onions when making meatloaf, spaghetti, chili, etc. You still get the onion flavor without the look of the onions.

I usually use some minced onion and then FINELY chop fresh, raw onion in the food processor and add it to the mix. My son is none the wiser.

I have tried using dried onions in spaghetti sauce and the result was pretty disappointing. First I rehydrated the onions, then sauteed them in oil to (hopefully) tenderize them, added them to the sauce and let it simmer for several hours. The dried onions didn't really tenderize like fresh onions do. They were too crunchy and just got in the way.

Dried onions might be OK in a solid-food recipe such as meatloaf as suggested elsewhere, or dip, where you don't mind a little crunch, but they were just not right for this sauce.

I got myself an electric chopper -- they're not expensive -- and it makes the task of chopping up fresh onions a LOT easier, so it's fresh all the way from now on for this recipe.

Some people have digestive problems from onions. Most onions give me gas, but the problem is much less if I cut the onion and run the product under running water.

For those who don't have fresh onions hanging about the house and don't like the results gotten with dried, there is a product 'Sauteed Glazed Onions' frozen in cubes, made by the Dorot company. I've not tried them yet, but you can see through the packaging and they look good.