The Tastiest Way To Use Discarded Onion Peels
The business of peeling onions can be cumbersome and messy, leaving a pile of peels strewn all over the kitchen counter. You may want to dispose of these onion skins, which, if left unattended, often flutter about the counter, the floor, and your pantry. Sometimes these can feel like nothing but litter — the discarded remnants of the tasty onion, good only to sweep into the trash bin. However, you shouldn't be too quick to toss out those onion peels, as they can quickly (and with just a little effort) go from food scraps to food seasoning. Yes, with a few extra steps you can turn your onion peels into a delicious onion powder, perfect for sprinkling on any number of dishes.
Luckily, the process is pretty simple. All you need to do is gather your discarded onion skins, wash them, dry them, and then bake them at a low temperature, around 150 degrees Fahrenheit, for three hours. Alternatively, you can also use a food dehydrator. Once your onion skins are cooked, crush them into a powder. This can be done with a number of tools, from a mortar and pestle to a blender. You can also, if no such tools are available to you, crush the dried skins with your hands. Just make sure that they're broken down into a fine powder. Once done, you'll have a great batch of onion powder that can last up to a year if properly stored in an airtight container.
The onion powder and the possibilities
Of course, onions skins aren't a one-trick pony when it comes to cooking. Though many home cooks simply pile their onion scraps into their compost heap (which isn't a bad idea, either, as onion skins are a great addition to a compost heap), you shouldn't neglect their benefits as an ingredient in many kitchen projects. If you're not in need of extra onion powder, for example, you can always use your onion skins to make a delicious stock. They can be added either to a chicken stock or to a vegetable stock along with other discarded vegetable parts such as carrot peels and garlic peels.
Then again, you can always pull double duty on your homemade onion powder by adding them to your stock. The concentrated flavors of your onion skins are perfect for the flavorful, aromatic soup base. You can also add the homemade seasoning to any number of dishes, such as garlic mashed potatoes or as a top off for a creamy Alfredo pasta. And flavor isn't the only benefit to making your own onion powder. The homemade seasoning is also rich in antioxidants and has many vitamins and minerals that takes it beyond the offerings found in the seasoning aisle of your grocery store. Plus, reusing ingredients that would otherwise make it into the discard pile is a great way to make the most of your ingredients. The tasty seasoning that it yields isn't bad either.