# Frozen onions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 13, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161 "2022-10-13T02:50:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/21 "2022-10-13T17:11:07Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > To me, chopping onions with a well-sharpened chef’s knife is one of the joys of cookery. Hmm. Naw, i enjoy peeling and slicing apples for pie, and i enjoy deboning a joint of meat, but I’d just as soon not slice onions. I have to set up next to the exhaust fan, and clean up meticulously. It’s just a nuisance. That being said, i had no idea frozen onions were a thing. I freeze leftover scraps of onion for soup, where I’m going to cook the hell out of it anyway. But those are the only frozen onions I’ve ever used, or even knew about. Now i must investigate. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/22 "2022-10-13T17:13:53Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > …i had no idea frozen onions were a thing… I didn’t either. Until I discovered them! \<_Cue harp music and choirs of angels singing_\> Now I’m never without a couple of bags in the freezer. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/23 "2022-10-13T17:18:33Z")
Count me with those who chop a whole onions then store the unused amount in a container in the fridge. Personally I use a screw-top piece of Gladware. I also have a couple of bags of frozen pearl onions in the freezer for soups & stews. Plus a jar of cocktail onions for those times I’m feeling puckish and want a Gibson instead of a martini. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/24 "2022-10-13T17:20:40Z")
I routinely chop and freeze my own onions and put in ziploc bags for later use in soups, stews, or whatever any time it looks like they’re wanting to sprout and there won’t be enough time to use them all up. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/25 "2022-10-13T17:21:14Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > To me, chopping onions with a well-sharpened chef’s knife is one of the joys of cookery. I agree as well but, clearly (reading this thread), it’s not for everyone. It’s just so simple though…as prepping things goes in a kitchen. I find it satisfying. Like at least I can do this one thing correctly. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/26 "2022-10-13T17:23:40Z")
For stir-frys and other hot, fast applications, I’m in the group that always uses fresh. Any partials (rare) are put in a small reusable container in the fridge and are pretty much always gone long before freshness is an issue. My wife and I like onions a lot. 🙂 I have frozen pearl onions for various slow cooked dishes, or for being roasted in a pan and added to another dish, as otherwise they tend to be insanely expensive. As for chopped, frozen onions, I normally end up with one or two gallon bags worth from the end of season culling at my MiL’s garden, which I use for French onion soup - I don’t care about water loss because that’s the goal, and since the original quality is darn high, anything lost to freezing is more than compensated for. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/27 "2022-10-13T17:43:19Z")
I knew they were a thing, and in March 2020 I bought a couple of bags because we use a lot of onions and the grocery store was cleaned out of all onions at the time. I think I used one bag. They are a bit watery and have less flavor. I love caramelized onions, and other cooked onions. I tend to buy sweet onions most of the time, which don’t make me cry when I chop them. Because I like them so much, I rarely use less than a whole onion in a dish. I bought a regular yellow onion and chopped it last week, and as someone else mentioned, it was actually dangerous, my eyes were watering so bad. My knife is extremely sharp, and I had to keep taking breaks so I wouldn’t lose a finger tip. I really don’t want to have to start wearing goggles for cooking, but I’d rather have fresh onion than use frozen for most of my cooking. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/28 "2022-10-13T19:10:12Z")
I never buy frozen onions, the fresh ones are cheaper and I don’t mind chopping onions. I don’t run into the only need a quarter of an onion issue because I don’t think i have ever made 1 serving of anything in my life, leftovers are great as the next day’s work lunch or a fast dinner when dragged out of the freezer. [and in the past 6 years dicking around with chemo and radiation effects, we made a gallon at a time of rischert and juuk, classic chicken noodle soup [with orzo not egg noodles] and frozen in 8 oz portions so all I had to do was grab and nuke, when my energy levels were pretty much zilch. ] Rischert is from Mom’s family recipe, variants of it had been found in an archeological dig in the Hallstadt Salt mine, Juuk/congee is a chinese recipe from my grandmothers [school roommate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Zia_Chu) who was also a world class chef. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/29 "2022-10-13T19:31:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I agree as well but, clearly (reading this thread), it’s not for everyone. I agree as well. I’m pretty happy with the way my knife works through those onions – I never tear up, but I assume that is due to wearing glasses? As in, I’ve literally never teared up from cutting an onion that I could think of – be it white, red, or yellow. Or maybe I’m a mutant. That’s always possible. (Of course, similarly, when I’m frying chiles or even cutting them up, my wife is six feet from me and is gagging and coughing like her lungs are on fire, whereas I’m over the pan or cutting board with nary a sniffle. Hell, she’ll even be upstairs and yell down “TURN THE FAN ON!!!” when I don’t even notice.) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/30 "2022-10-13T19:45:11Z")
Personally, I wouldn’t buy the frozen onions pictured due to the price/value. One bag says it equals two medium onions. Price $2.79. Two medium onions from the same store, purchased today, $0.59. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/31 "2022-10-13T19:48:20Z")
Same reason I skip the packaged fresh fruit that is chopped for you. I get paying more for someone else to do the work but the price premium on those is steep. Better to cut my own fruit (except mango…I love it but it is such a pain in the arse to cut). And things like fresh onions and garlic are dirt cheap (and they go such a long way to making yummy dishes). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/32 "2022-10-13T19:50:58Z")
I wasn’t aware that this product was available. And besides … > [@wolfpup](#): > > To me, chopping onions with a well-sharpened chef’s knife is one of the joys of cookery. Yea, I love it, garlic, too. It’s getting to be chili season, hooray. Almost any fruit or vegetable prep is pretty fun, though I confess the entertainment wore off when supreming a few grapefruits over the summer. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Better to cut my own fruit (except mango…I love it but it is such a pain in the arse to cut). I’m ok with mango but I think my pineapple cutting days are over. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/33 "2022-10-13T19:56:34Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I’m ok with mango but I think my pineapple cutting days are over. I’m the opposite. That big pit in the center of a mango is a pain to carve around. Pineapple…just slice off the outside, cut in quarters and remove the core. Easy peasy. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/34 "2022-10-13T20:00:20Z")
But if you do it that way, you lose a great summer beverage container! [![](https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/2643376/828x610/flatten;crop;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg) ](https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/2643376/828x610/flatten;crop;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/35 "2022-10-14T01:17:24Z")
Me, I like shallots. They’re also small enough not to generate leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/36 "2022-10-14T01:34:46Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Better to cut my own fruit (except mango…I love it but it is such a pain in the arse to cut). Are you familiar with these tricks? [5 easy ways to cut a mango](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm8GWLkdjYE) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/37 "2022-10-14T02:45:34Z")
I’ve done both. I find that storing the onion too long in the freezer makes the freezer smell off. Along with anything that not sealed in plastic. FYI, I store fresh onions in the fridge and don’t have the problem with tearing up ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/38 "2022-10-14T03:53:55Z")
I don’t know about frozen regular onions, but every now and then I make a batch of caramelized onions, then freeze caramelized-onion patties for when I’m in the mood for a burger or a steak or something. Who wants to spend an hour making them every time? They keep very well, and are easy to thaw out and use. (If you tear up when cutting onions - try swimming goggles!) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/39 "2022-10-14T14:03:51Z")
If you tear up while chopping onions, get a sharper knife and fresher onions. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161/40 "2022-10-14T17:26:59Z")
No thrill for me but after chopping thousands of onions in my life it is an insignificant task. I have literally been distracted when starting to chop an onion and when my focus returned the onion would be chopped. Plastic wrap seals an onion tightly with no drying so I cut off what I need to chop and wrap up the rest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-onions/973161.md?page=3)