Not sure what to do with that big bag of onions? Don’t let them go bad….

A FRUGAL AND EFFICIENT IDEA…

Do you ever buy a bag of onions because they are on a great sale, but then after cutting one you don’t want to cut into the rest of them because you start crying after the first one…so they sit on your counter until they get soggy and gross and you must throw them out? …. What!? That’s just me? After wasting a couple of bags of onions this way, I decided to start chopping and freezing my onions when they are a great sale that I cannot pass up.

1. First, light a candle, or two. Keep these close to where you will be cutting your onions. This will cut back on the whole crying over each onion thing. Alternatively, you can chop from the shoot end, leaving the root end whole. This works because the sulfur compounds in onions that cause tears are concentrated in the root end.

2. If you using the candle method, you can cut off both ends of the onion and make a long slit along the edge of the onion, cutting into the first outside layer of the onion. Doing this will make getting the peeling off of the onion quick and easy. Just peel off the outside layer like you would peel off a sticker. Easy peasy.3. Slice and dice. I do half of the onions sliced and half chopped, because I will be using them for recipes that call for sliced onion, and some that call for chopped onion. Consider what you will be using the onions for and chop/slice accordingly.

To give you an example of how I use both, I use sliced onions for crockpot soups and skillet recipes, like my Pork Chops and Caramelized Onion recipe and I used chopped onion for soups, like my Lemon Chicken Rice Soup.
4. Put onion in a single layer onto a baking sheet, or a stone, and pop into the freezer. Leave in the freezer for about 2 hours or so.

Once it is frozen you can bag the onion in a freezer zip-close bag, getting out as much air from the bag as you can to prevent frost accumulating in the bag. Store the onion in your freezer for about 3-4 months! Frozen onions cook great, and you will be so glad you took the time to do this the next time you need an onion chopped.

Thinking of freezing some other foods?

For a list of storage times (in the fridge and the freezer) you can refer to Thrillist.com. They made this fantastic, easy to read, beautiful “How long does food last in the freezer” guide that I love.

Plus, 11 fun (and practical) uses for onions you didn’t know about!

Did you know you could dye Easter eggs, get rid of warts, repel pesky mosquitoes, and get rid of that smell in your basement all with a simple onion?! You can! For more fun, you can check out our 11 things you didn’t know you could do with onions!

One of my favorite recipes that uses onions is the Lemon Chicken Rice Soup. If you are looking for a great recipe that uses onions I would give that one a try.

Did you know that onion has medicinal properties in it that can take care of skin problems? It’s true. There are many things that onions can be used for beside cooking. Click here to learn about 11 other things you can do with onion that you may have never thought of before.