You can dry onions for long-term storage using a process called "pickling." Or you can also dry onions for use as a condiment or snack using the oven or a dehydrator. Each process is fairly simple but uses slightly different steps.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preserving Onions for the Winter
Step 1. Choose onions with a strong smell
Onions with a mild odor don't preserve well, so when you want to air dry or preserve onions for the winter, onions with a strong smell are a better choice.
- Generally, mild-smelling onions are usually quite large and have a paper-like skin that peels off easily. When cut, onions have a lot of water and the rings are quite thick.
- Onions with a strong odor are smaller in size and tend to have a firm skin. When cut, the rings are thinner and will make your eyes start to water.
- Onions that have a mild odor will only last for a month or a maximum of 2 months if they are dried or preserved. On the other hand, onions with a strong smell can last all winter under ideal conditions.
- The sulfur compounds that make your eyes water when chopping onions with a strong smell will also slow down the rotting process.
- Popular varieties of red bowang with a strong smell include Candy, Copra, Red Weathersfield, and Ebenezer.
Step 2. Peel the leaves
Remove wilted leaves with shears or large shears and remove them from the roots gently by scrubbing away any large lumps of earth.
- This step is necessary only if the onions were harvested from your own garden. If you bought it from a store, chances are that all the leaves and dirt have been removed.
- Remember that onions should only be harvested after the leaves on the plant have started to weaken and “drop” down, indicating that the plant has stopped growing. Only onions that are fully ripe should be preserved for winter storage.
- Remember that for best results, you should also dry or preserve your onions as soon as you harvest them.
Step 3. Transfer the onions to a warm, protected place
Place the onions in a single layer in a barn or pantry at between 15 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.
- Allow the onions to dry for the first week.
- If the weather is still dry and warm outside, and you don't have to worry about animals disturbing your onion harvest, you can also lay them out on the ground for the first few days. But usually, you need to move it to a closed garage.
- Be careful when you move the onions. Onions can be damaged if you press too hard. You should also avoid touching the onions during this initial drying stage.
- Don't place the onions in direct sunlight because they won't dry evenly.
Step 4. Consider preserving the onions in a braid
You can dry the onions by laying them flat, or by weaving the tops into braids.
- Unite the onions by cutting off all the leaves except the three youngest ones. Tie all remaining leaves to another chopped spring onion and hang vertically to dry completely.
- Keep in mind that this is simply a matter of taste or space constraints because according to research, there isn't much difference between drying onions flat or in braids.
- Allow the onions to dry in this position for four to six weeks.
Step 5. Cut back the top
When the onion dries, you should again cut the top two or three times as the stem shrinks. Cut off the remaining neck when the onion is completely dry. The roots must also be cut.
- Cut back the top two or three times during the drying process.
- Once the onions are done drying/preserving, cut off all the necks.
- After the first or second week of drying, you should also cut about 0.5 cm of the onion roots with scissors.
Step 6. Store the onions in a cool and dry place
During winter for example, you can usually store your onions in the cellar.
- Place the onions in a mesh bag, bushel basket, or flat perforated cardboard box. Put only three onions in a small space so the onions have sufficient ventilation space.
- At 0 degrees Celsius, strong-smelling onions can last 6 to 9 months, and light-smelling onions can last from two weeks to a month.
Method 2 of 3: Oven Dry
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 70 degrees Celsius
Line two or more baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On average, you'll need one or two standard pans for every one onion you want to dry using this method. If you're only drying one onion, prepare two pans. If you are drying two onions, prepare three or four baking sheets, and so on. It's better to give the onions too much space, than to give the onions too little.
- Do not allow the temperature to rise above 70 degrees Celsius during the drying process. If the oven temperature rises above this temperature, you'll end up scorching or searing your onions instead of drying them out.
- The tray you are using should be about 5 cm narrower than the inside of your oven to allow it to provide adequate air circulation.
Step 2. Cut the onion into thin slices
The root, top, and skin should be removed, and the onion should be chopped or sliced into 0.5 or 0.3 cm rings.
The easiest way to slice an onion for this purpose is to use a mandoline. If you don't have this tool, you can also slice an onion as thinly as you can with your sharpest kitchen knife
Step 3. Spread the onions in the pan
Transfer your prepared onion slices to a baking sheet and spread the onions in a single layer.
If the onions are stacked on a baking sheet, it will take longer to dry. Also, the onions won't dry out evenly once they're done. This can cause problems later if you accidentally store a few onions that haven't dried completely
Step 4. Dry the onions in the preheated oven
Place the onions in the oven and dry for 6 to 10 hours, turning the pan over if needed to reduce the risk of overheating.
- If possible, leave the oven door open with a gap of 10 cm to prevent the oven from getting too hot. If you do this, you can also place a fan in an open gap to force the air inside to circulate more effectively.
- Leave about 8 cm of free space between the trays and between the top tray and the top oven. A lot of air circulation is required.
- Watch the onions carefully because at the end of the process. Because onions can get too hot if left in the oven for too long. Onions that get too hot will spoil the taste and the onions will become less nutritious.
Step 5. Destroy it when done
When done, the onions will be brittle enough to crush with your hands. You can make onion flakes in these conditions.
- For the onion flakes, crush the onion only with your hands. For the onion powder, place the onions in a plastic bag and grind them using a rolling pin.
- You can also leave the onions whole, but remember that onions are very fragile and delicate, so they can easily fall apart if handled roughly.
Step 6. Store in a cool, dry place
Place the onion sprinkling in an airtight container and store in a refrigerator or other similar storage area.
- If vacuum-sealed, dried onions can last up to 12 months. In a slightly less airtight state, onions can last for 3 to 9 months.
- Watch the humidity. If you notice any moisture in the box during the first few days of storage, remove the onions, dry the onions, and dry the box before putting the onions back in. Dew can cause dry onions to go stale more quickly.
Method 3 of 3: The Dehydrator Technique
Step 1. Prepare the onions
Onions should be peeled and sliced into ring-shaped pieces about 0.3 cm thick.
- Cut the root that is at the bottom of the onion and peel off the skin.
- If you have a mandolin, use the smallest or second smallest knife to slice the onions. If you don't have a mandolin, use your sharpest kitchen knife to cut the onion as thinly as possible.
Step 2. Place the onions in the dehydrator tray
Arrange the onion slices in your dehydrator tray in a single layer arrangement, adjusting the position of the tray, so that the onions can get good air circulation.
- The onion slices should not pile up or touch. Spread the pieces to maximize air circulation.
- Trays should also be placed far apart in the dehydrator. Leave a gap of at least 5-8 cm between the trays to maximize air circulation.
Step 3. Turn on the dehydrator for about 12 hours
If your dehydrator has a thermostat, turn it at 63 degrees Celsius until the onion pieces dry out.
If your dehydrator is old or cheap, and doesn't have a thermostat, you'll need to watch the drying time more closely. Drying time can be increased or decreased by 1 hour or more, and you can check the temperature with an oven-safe thermometer to measure the time difference you need to account for
Step 4. Store the dried onions in an airtight container
Store onions in a cool, dry location. Use onions in your cooking or eat them like this.
- If you store dried onions in an airtight container, they can last up to 12 months. In less airtight conditions, onions can last for 3 to 9 months.
- Watch the humidity. If you notice any moisture in the box during the first few days of storage, remove the onions, dry the onions, and dry the box before putting the onions back in. Dew can cause dry onions to go stale more quickly.
- You can also crush onions into powder or powder for food.
