Vinegar softens the bite of raw onions?
This seems to always be the case for me. Any time I'm marinating a salad or pickling vegetables it always seems that the raw onion bite is very much diluted after soaking in vinegar. Is the vinegar 'cooking' the onions in a way, or are the offending chemicals water soluble and just dissolving into the liquid?
Best Answer
I expect it's just the water. Soaking in water, after at least cutting the base off the onion to expose the core, is commonly recommended as a way to reduce the potency of onions to avoid crying. It should also reduce the potency of the flavor. If you're giving it enough time to marinate or pickle, the effect will be even larger than the shorter soaks people use to try to avoid crying.
Edit: I'm not sure how thoroughly you're marinating and pickling, but very generally, adding one strong flavor tends to reduce our perception of others, so you may also have some effects just because you're tasting the vinegar.
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Quick Answer about "Vinegar softens the bite of raw onions?"
To mellow onions: It will change your onions' flavor, but soaking them briefly in a bit of vinegar will soften them, both in taste and texture -- think of it as an abridged quick pickle.What happens when you soak onion in vinegar?
The vinegar soak did rid the onions of much of their burn, but it was replaced by an equally strong sour taste, even after thorough rinsing. Milk was also very effective at removing the sulfur compounds, but it left the onions tasting washed-out.Does vinegar soften onions?
If you use red wine vinegar, my personal favorite, the onions also turn an amazing hot-pink color. At a minimum, this takes about 15 minutes, though you can safely leave the onions in the vinegar for at least an hour, if not more, with the onions gradually softening and becoming more tart as they marinate.How do you take the bite out of raw onions?
Just peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then submerge them in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.What is it called when you soak onions in vinegar?
Pickling transforms raw red onions from pungent and crunchy to irresistibly tangy and crisp. I add some red pepper flakes for extra spice and a splash of maple syrup or honey to round out the other strong flavors. These onions are the perfect condiment for tacos, burgers, salads, and more.Tasting Raw Onions | ASMR
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