DH always says "if onions are good for you, I'm going to live forever. If they're bad for you, I'm a goner." He loves, loves, loves onions!

I remember my father telling me that eating onion sandwiches prevented pimples. I never tried it.

I agree with Fun2BHere. Freezing will break them down, so vacuum seal to limit water migration. Freeze in small lots. Should be fine for when you aren't trying to keep them crisp.

peanut butter and onion sandwiches ... oh my, especially when you have been working outside all day

This year I found out something new about onions. Someone on here mentioned that they purchased yellow sweet onions for cooking rather than the regular yellow onions. I have to admit I had never seen yellow sweet onions in the stores I go to. About two weeks after seeing that I finally saw them at my store. The produce person stated they were trying them. Not certain that I noticed any flavor difference but they certainly are slightly flattened and much bigger that the ones I normally purchase. Only sweet onions I had seen previously were those Vidalia ones.

we can get 25 lb bags for $4 this time of year. I love to caramelize them in a crock pot and then freeze.

We have the big Texas sweets and at the right time of the year we get Vidalia onions. Those are the 2 types I prefer to buy. Occasionally if they have really nice purple onions I will pick up a few. I occasionally have some Chopped ones in the freezer. They are fine to put in a soup or gumbo.

I like the juicy, acidic white ones for raw, like a slice on a burger, and regular Spanish onions for most cooking, though I'll use whatever's left in the drawer for whatever. I only use red onions for looks, like in sweet potato latkes. They all cost more where I shop...

I find that sweet onions are better when raw and are not good when cooked, no matter how. Cooking any onion or onion relative (like garlic) "softens" the taste. Sweet onions are so mild that when cooked can become almost bland.

Regular yellow ones serve most purposes for us. Red onions for cole slaw or potato salad, for both the milder flavor and for the color.

I wouldn't know what to do with a sack of onions. We usually buy 3 or 4 at a time and unless we're roasting them for a dinner at home with guests, at least one will usually get tossed.

I buy a 10 lb. bag of yellow onions for about $2.50 - $3.00, (last week was $1.90), then share them with up to half a dozen neighbours, friends at church, etc. Son prefers the blue ones mainly for colour; they are usually some more expensive and show up less frequently.

Potatoes are often a similar price in autumn, often need to be checked soon for spoilage, and often are small, which doesn't bother me in fall when I often don't peel, but I like less later when the skins deteriorate some so I peel them.

I think that it'd be a good idea to buy bulk spices at a much lower price per unit and share them, but haven't yet done so.

ole joyful

I too love and use a lot of onions, the sweet ones. Some people dehydrate them too as well as freeze them.

Sue

My FIL had a huge garden and froze all kinds of things including onions. They are fine for cooking, but not raw. We now buy the frozen chopped ones which we add with peppers to the fry pan before cooking our morning eggs.

When I see a lot of onions, I think french onion soup....

"When I see a lot of onions, I think french onion soup...."

Me too!! My favorite soup, right after split pea with ham :-) Otherwise, I buy onions in ones or twos. I always have a least one on hand but any more than that and they are likely to go bad or get mushy before I use them.

Here, the sweet onion of choice is the Walla Walla Sweet. THE best tasting onion but with a very short season of availability and no keeping ability.....use 'em or lose 'em!! I like making onion jam with them when they are in season. Great on burgers or sandwiches or served with any roast meat and steaks.

In the old days, my dad would put the onions in a hot dry attic of the barn and dry the onions as a way to preserve them.

More recently, I oven roasted some winter veggies with cipollini onions...man were they sweet!

When they go on sale I pick up a lot and make French Onion soup. That does freeze well. I love a bowl of it on a cold Fall or Winter day.

I think if I were going to try to freeze extra onions, I might saute them in butter/olive oil first, and freeze them cooked, rather than raw. Raw onions - unless maybe you blanch them - develop a soapy taste, IMPE.

And this conversation made me think of this song:

That's a bargain, I just paid $1.93 for a 3 pound bag of yellow onions yesterday! I like to slice them very thinly and sautee in a little butter until they are brown and caramelized. Takes a lot of onions because they do cook down, but the result can be frozen and is delicious added to soups, vegetables, used as a gravy base, even warmed up and added to sandwiches.

You all reminded me that I did make a batch of carmelized onions last year and kept them in the freezer. They were good added to meatloaf, burgers, etc. And French Onion soup of course.

I was at the store and checked out the onions. They're too small; my preference are large, softball sized, which are the ones I currently have. So I don't mind passing up another 10-lb bag.

This makes me sad. I cant eat onions as they give me terrible acid reflux. I knew I couldn't eat garlic anymore but it took years for me to realize that something as ubiquitous as onions was worse. I tolerate shallots and leeks but it isn't the same. I never ate them raw though my parents did but I used a lot in cooking. Sigh.

Oops! Forgot that editing deletes a video link - fixed now.

I thought of that song too, and it was one of my favorites in 1966. I don't know whether I bought it or not because I heard it so much on the radio. It did not chart very high despite its airplay.

I've always liked onion, including the small pearl onions, and I like those pickled. They are essential for a Gibson. I tend not to buy sweet onions if I am going to cook them, and I prefer red onions if I am going to use them raw. I also like Green Onions

I sure do loves me some of them there Texas Sweets, Vidalia, and Walla Walla onions! I don't really freeze them, as one kind or the other are readily available here and are not expensive so we just get more. They do keep pretty well and because of that, I've been known to stock up.

I have a sack of Vidalia onions in my pantry right now. Costco had them last time we were there. They were nice big beautiful ones. I am unfortunately nearing the bottom of the sack.

I love onions too, especially green onions. I usually don't buy bags of them anymore unless I'm shopping with my daughter and can split them between us. They would rot before I used them all. Came home to part of one in my refrigerator that I had to throw out. I bought a very small single onion yesterday to use on my tacos. I'll have to make an omelette or something to use the rest up.

FWIW, I grow my own green onions. I've grown Egyptian walking onions and Welsh onions in pots for many years now.

I think, rather than having to discard them, you can regenerate store bought scallions by cutting off the bottom 2 inches or so, with roots attached, and potting them up.

And I've been thinking lately of something I used to eat often: sharp cheddar, raw sweet onions & mustard sandwiches made with toasted whole wheat bread...

I'll have to try planting green onions, as I only want the green part mostly anyway, and I think that would grow back after cutting the way chives do.

Oh my...liver and onions would be calling my name!

Lars look for scallions when you look for seeds. They are not the same as green onions which after a certain amount of time will try to form a bulb. When they can not they simply brown down and die. Some people grow what are called walking onions for the green parts. One of the ethnic groups use a technique where they mound the dirt or place boards along the row and fill it with dirt as the scallions grow. Makes a long thick white stalked that is milder than most scallions. You may need to replant frequently to have the green part as your area may be too warm to prevent them from going to seed. However the seed with or without the outer covering makes an interesting addition to salads. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-scallions-4125799

Several of you spoke warmly of French onion soup.

How do I make some, please?

ole joyful

Joyful, it's a beef stock as a base.

Onion Soup

4 medium onions, sliced on the thin side

3 tablespoons safflower oil (or any high heat not so tasty oil)

1/2 cup port wine

2 quarts beef stock

Seasoning

thyme, bay leaf, and celery stalk in a twist of cheesecloth or soup sock, to remove at the end.

Brown the onions, deglaze with wine and add the other ingredients. Simmer.

This looks like a good recipe. I'll suggest the onions don't just need to be "browned" but cooked until very dark and caramelized. I myself would probably use a few more than 4 onions for 2 quarts of stock. And I use sherry instead of port but that's an irrelevant difference. You can use red wine too.

I serve it with a toasted sourdough slice floating on top and a generous portion of shredded gruyere cheese on top of that. You can put the bowls on a baking sheet and put that under the broiler for a few moments to give the cheese a classic browned touch but it's not necessary. .

All roads lead to the same outcome. It's a labor intensive soup as regards the onions but well worth the effort.

Around here when the onions get at about as cheap as they are going to
get, I pick up the 3 pound bags for 90 cents a bag- it's a buy 10 for
ten bucks, and get the 11th free. I'm not terribly fond of frozen onions and opt to use the freezer space for other stuff...

But I do dehydrate lots of onions. Just dice or mince them up, and fill up the dehydrator. Depending on how I cut them up, 3-5 pounds fill a quart jar. Quart jar can be ground down into about a pint-ish jar of onion powder- again, depending on what the original cut was. I tend to grind up smaller amounts for more of a 4 oz jar for the pantry, because homemade onion powder can cake more since it lacks the extra stuff many commercial powders have.

Occasionally I'll do some up in a jar or two of caramelized onion jam for the freezer. I did it canned once a while back too- makes for a nice food gift. Pairs great with a bacon jam and a hot pepper jelly for a trio of savory sweetness.

And caramelized onions can work well in the freezer for onion soup base-
just stop before you add all the extra liquid to put in the freezer. Frozen caramelized onions fare better in the than raw does for me.

And I like to can up pickled onions. Sweet and sour mostly, though I sometimes mess with the seasonings a bit to get extra ginger or hotter kicks. I rather like using the recipe from Marisa McCellan's Food in Jars, but Ball also has a nice Double Onion Marmalade too.

I have a buddy that does a bunch of ferments, including a fermented onion. I haven't tried it yet to say if it tastes good or not.

Ole Joyful and others I would suggest trying to find a restaurant that makes French Onion Soup to try it as it is one of those things you either love or hate.

Last winter I found a can of Cambells condensed French Onion Soup at the store. I have not tried it and it does not have the real goodies of toast floating on the surface with melted cheese. This area is a test market for many products so it may not be available any more. Will never compete with the real thing and I actually bought it to pour over a beef roast.

I make onion soup with half chicken and half beef broth.....and sherry instead of port.....and lots more onions for 2 quarts of broth>
And I like the smaller onions mostly as they will fit into the feed tube of the Cuisinart....that machine changed my outlook on home made onion soup.

Last week I was given about 8 nice cucumbers.....so I decided to make refrigerator bread and butter pickles.....with onions.....and I used a lot of onions. They really wilted down over night in the brine....but when I was mixing it up I thought wow...pickled onions with a few cucumber slices....but it was OK....actually better than just OK!

We don't have onions on sale for cheap where we live. I've been paying around 99 cents a lb for large sweet yellow onions.

I used to can Vidalia onions. I’ll have to see if I can find the recipe, but it was very popular. We would use them on hot dogs, or on cooked Lima beans, kind of like a traditional southern chow chow.

Ed.....you can pick up one person servings of French onion soup at any M & M store in your area-try one of those!

Whenever I am making something that takes less than a whole onion, I don't wrap the remainder, I chop it up and freeze it. I do a lot of braising, and it's a nice "luxury" to skip prepping an onion and just grab the bag of chopped onion from the freezer.

Oh yes! I keep diced onions and diced bell peppers in the freezer as a convenience!

I love onion soup! I've been making this recipe the past few years.

ONION and FENNEL SOUP GRATIN
Adapted from Ask the Barefoot Contessa (House Beautiful)
Printable Recipe

Serves 3-4 (May be Doubled)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 pounds large sweet onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (5 cups)
1 pound fresh fennel, fronds removed and cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup brandy
3/4 cup dry white wine – I used Chardonnay
4 cups beef stock or broth
2 small bay leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of French bread, cut to fit soup bowls
2-4 ounces of grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large stockpot on medium/high heat.
Add the sliced onions and fennel and sauté for 30-35 minutes, stirring
occasionally until the onions are golden brown. Add the sherry and
brandy and stir and then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the white
wine and simmer uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

Add the beef stock or broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the French bread slices in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes until they are nicely toasted.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup and adjust seasoning.

Preheat the broiler to high. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and
ladle the soup into the bowls. Place the toasted bread over the top of
the soup and sprinkle generously with the grated cheese and broil for
about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and serve.

https://savoringtimeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/onion-and-fennel-soup-gratin.html

Thanks, Maifleur. I ordered some scallion seeds (Long Tokyo White Bunching Green Scallions) and will give them a try. I don't mind if I have to replant them - my chives replant themselves, as I tend to let some of them go to seed since some birds like them. I would rather have green onions/scallions in my yard for convenience, as they do not store well in the fridge. I think they might do best for me in the winter.

Onions freeze just fine, as do peppers, if you are going to use them for cooking and not eating fresh.

I grew onions this year, yellow, white and red, thinking I'd dehydrate a bunch. Instead, we just used them all summer and I have about a dozen left, go figure.

Naturegirl did bring me some walking onions, which are planted next to the garlic so they don't have to be moved, I'm looking forward to using some of those as "green onions".

So, I guess I'll just be dehydrating that big row of leeks I have out there, because I used the onions instead!

Annie

I love onions. I used my last onion yesterday when I cooked a cottage roll with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions in my Instant Pot. My cousin moved back to Windsor from Toronto and is living with me until she can get a geared to income apartment. She has dietary restrictions for food that causes her to have migraines and onions is one of them. I love cooking with onions and am finding it hard to cook the meals that I want to cook unless I make 2 recipes 1 with onions for us and 1 without onions for her. So many condiments and broths contain onions or onion powder. I was able to find onion free Worcestershire and mustard and ketchup and a bbq sauce that is too vinegary for me. I told her tonight I am going to buy a huge bag of onions haha and she will have to make her own version of the meal I am planning without onions. She also won't eat anything that contains nitrites or nitrates for fear of getting a migraine, or chocolate. I am so happy my only food sensitivity is peanuts. I am looking forward to buying a huge bag of large onions like Jasdip's and making a pot of stew with lots of onions and using beef broth and consomme!

Patriciae, I don't get reflux from them, I am allergic to garlic. I can still eat onions, though. Onions and garlic are both in the lily family. Even after 30+ years, I haven't figured out why I can eat onions but not garlic.

Maifluer, I can still buy Campbell's french onion soup here. We've had it for years. I had forgotten that my late MIL used to pour a can over her beef roast before putting it in the oven. Makes a good base for gravy.

I've also canned french onion soup, and it was nice to have on hand to dump over a roast or just to heat and eat, but I haven't done that in a couple of years.

Thanks for the reminder, Tammy, I'm betting onions are cheap here too. Not at Meijer, of course, but at the local roadside stands and markets.

I used this one today in peach salsa:

Next year I'm planting twice as many, so I'll actually have some to can and dehydrate, we just love onions.

Annie