How to remove dirt from inside green/spring onions?
I love spring onions (I believe they're called green onions in the US); I use them in salads and to add flavor.
The problem is, whenever I get them from the supermarket, they're filled with dirt. No matter how much I wash them, and spray water inside the little stalks, there is always a considerable amount of dirt inside.
I'm a little bit confused as to what I'm supposed to do with this.
Is there a way to clean the dirt from the green section, apart from doing something nutty such as cutting open each stalk?
Or are you supposed to just eat the dirt?
Best Answer
This occurs pretty often with leeks as well. The procedure there is to cut open the stalks lengthwise - i.e. one cut from top to bottom along the long axis. This allows you to fan apart the layers to ease out any trapped dirt.
You could do the same thing with your green onions, assuming you don't mind cutting them lengthwise. If you don't want to cut, you could try soaking them in a sink or pot full of clean water for a half hour or so, agitating them every now and again. The water should get down the stalk and at least loosen up any trapped dirt.
Pictures about "How to remove dirt from inside green/spring onions?"
How do you get mud out of spring onions?
Wash the onions under running water to free them of dirt and grit, and then trim the root end (but only the very, very end -- every last bit of white packs a lot of flavor). If you're braising or grilling them whole, just trim off the top-most inch of the greens, and you're done.Why do my spring onions have goo inside?
It's the juices from the onion which is very juicy cause its fresh. You don't always see this with other onions because they are probably not that fresh even though they are perfectly edible and flavorful. Hope this helps!Do you need to clean green onions?
To Prep Green Onions Avoid slimy green onions and keep food safe using these tips to prep your green onions before cutting and adding to recipes. Rinse onions under cool tap water and remove any wilted or damaged tops or slimy skins on the white parts.How to Preserve and Clean Spring Onions | Preserve Green Onions | Cleaning Green Onions | Scallions
More answers regarding how to remove dirt from inside green/spring onions?
Answer 2
- Pull off old looking outside layers (If you have a problem with eating them)
- Chop finely (transverse or at an angle)
- Place in a basin of water and rub gently but thoroughly through your hands to loosen the pieces apart.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom.
- Gently gather them from the top in your two hands and place in a colander. You could use a slotted spoon but hands work better. Don't just drain the basin-full into the colander or you'll mix up the spring-onions and dirt again.
- Allow to sit and drain for a few minutes, pat dry if desired.
This method works well for leeks, lettuce etc. Slicing down the middle is an option, especially with leeks but will change the kind of cuts you can achieve and shouldn't really be necessary if you break the material apart with your hands properly.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ketut Subiyanto, Karolina Grabowska, Ryutaro Tsukata, Ketut Subiyanto