Will frozen pearl onions caramelize as easily as fresh ones will?
Will frozen pearl onions caramelize as well as fresh ones will? Besides draining the frozen ones, is there anything that I should do to them to aid their caramelization?
Best Answer
I don't have any experience with frozen or canned pearl onions (I assume canned because of the mention of draining), but I regularly cut and freeze 10lbs of onions at a time for ease of use later in the week/month (more info on how/why here).
With these onions that I freeze myself, caramelization seems to be the same as it would be with fresh onions. I haven't done anything special when caramelizing with them, and there's been no increase in necessary cooking time or decrease in flavor.
If you really wanted to be safe, you could probably drop them in boiling water for a minute or two (or defrost them on the counter for an hour), but with how long it's going to take to caramelize anyway, I would think this extra step is unnecessary.
Also: if you're going to take the time to caramelize, but you're short on time during the week after work/school/etc, I recommend making a huge batch and then freezing the resulting caramelized onions as well. Very handy!
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Can I use frozen pearl onions instead of fresh?
Frozen pearl onions are a great substitute for fresh ones. They are usually peeled and can be found in the freezer section of most well-stocked grocery stores. Frozen pearl onions have less water content than their fresh counterparts, so they'll give you a more concentrated taste.Can you caramelize onions that have been frozen?
Just throw them all into a freezer bag that's big enough for it to spread into an even, thin layer (keep it to no more than 1/2-inch thick). When you need caramelized onions, just break off a frozen chunk straight from the bag!Are frozen pearl onions good?
Long story short? if simple simmering or glazing is what you're planning, then frozen onions could do you well, provided you like a stronger onion flavor. If a heartier texture that stands up better to cooking is what you need, or you prefer the milder, grassier flavor of fresh onions then stick with the fresh.Do I need to defrost pearl onions before cooking?
Small vegetables like peas, corn, or even pearl onions work best since they cook quickly and evenly, but depending on what I'm making, even bigger vegetables like broccoli florets can skip the defrosting process if they're going to be cooked in a lot of liquid.More answers regarding will frozen pearl onions caramelize as easily as fresh ones will?
Answer 2
I would worry about extra water in the pan from ice crystals on the onions. The maximum heat in a pan with water is boiling point. (100 C/212 F). If there's no water, but simply oil and the vegetables, the temperature can get much hotter. Additional water can steam the onions a bit before they start caramelizing. This will slightly change their texture. But the water will eventually cook off, and the onions will then caramelize.
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