Onions are specially doused with boiling water for the purpose of preventing its enzyme from being released into the air and so that tears do not flow from the eyes when cutting it. Since this enzyme has an aggressive effect on the eyes and causes lacrimation.
This is also done to remove the bitterness from the onion, because in winter there is a type of onion that is called “evil” and it is very bitter. And after scalding, the bitterness leaves the onion.
You also need to scald already chopped onions when you don’t want to smell like onions after eating them. In this case, this helps. And there are also some salads in which the bitterness of the onions spoils and affects the taste, and then they scald them.
Onions are an essential vegetable that has a lot of beneficial properties and helps against many ailments. The areas of its application to maintain the health of the human body are very diverse.
Onions are easy to care for. Many people grow it in their summer cottages and even in city houses on the balcony in flower pots. Everyone knows that onions are consumed both raw and after heat treatment.
This vegetable is added to a huge variety of dishes, to which it adds juiciness and flavor. Raw onions are added to vegetable salads. Fried onions are a component of numerous hot dishes.
Useful properties and contraindications
Beneficial features
- As a source of vitamin C, it helps with colds and flu.
- Kills germs.
- Increases immunity.
- Slows down the growth of cancer cells in the body.
- Helps restore elasticity of the skin and blood vessels, breaks down fats.
Contraindications for use
- It is not recommended to eat onions if you have kidney or stomach diseases. May cause mucosal irritation and heartburn. Therefore, it is not recommended for people with high acidity. You should not eat onions if you are allergic to this product.
- Doctors do not recommend putting onion juice into the nose for a runny nose or various colds. The juice can cause a burn to the mucous membrane. Not only will this not help cure a runny nose, but in some cases it can cause allergies and severe swelling.
How to choose?
When buying onions, it is recommended to pay attention to the following signs of a good product:
- purity
- no damaged surface or mold
- dryness
- density
- elasticity.
How and where to store?
It can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month. Sweet onions are best kept in the refrigerator. Store prepared and pre-chopped onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
How to properly peel and chop onions?
To clean, cut off the top and root parts and remove the husks by hand. You can cut the onion into rings, half rings, cubes and feathers, depending on the dish being prepared.
The most important problem that almost every housewife faces is the ability of onions to cause tearing. Onions contain sulfur-containing substances. When cutting, the integrity of cell membranes is disrupted, which leads to the evaporation of these substances. They cause irritation to the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose.
There are several ways to combat this unpleasant property of onions:
- periodically wet the knife with cold water;
- Before cutting, keep the onion in the refrigerator;
- While peeling and slicing, exhale deeply or blow on the onion, thus driving away the pungent onion vapors from the eyes. The same effect can be achieved using a fan;
- To cut onions, it is better to use a thin, sharp knife without cloves;
- You can wear special safety glasses.
How to cook?
When preparing any dish with the addition of onions, you need to think not only about its taste, but also about how to preserve its healing properties as much as possible.
Naturally, eating onions in their raw form is most beneficial. During heat treatment, part of its medicinal properties is lost. There are a huge number of recipes for vegetable salads in which onions are added raw. Onions can serve not only as a flavorful additive, but also be used as the main element of soups, salads, and hot dishes.
Cooking rules
When adding onions to liquid dishes, keep in mind that the onions cook for about 10 minutes. If using pre-prepared frying, it is added 5 minutes before the dish is ready.
Do not water or trample onions
ALL of us, Russian gardeners, know, plant, grow and enjoy using onions. Onion “braids” hanging in a village hut near the Russian stove, and herring with onion rings on the table - so familiar from childhood, who doesn’t know this! And sauerkraut, seasoned with sunflower oil, sprinkled with sand and onions! But not everyone knows that our beloved onion was born very far away, in Central Asia, in a hot, arid climate, so rainy, cold weather is not for it.
In the southern regions, with a long growing season, the bulb can grow weighing up to 800 grams! We won’t be able to grow such giants in the middle zone, and we don’t need to. If you care for it correctly, then our onion will be just right!
At the end of July, early ripening onion varieties begin to ripen. Now the most important thing is not to water, not to trample! There is a completely erroneous opinion that in order to ripen a good bulb and accelerate the outflow of nutrients from the leaves, you need to bend and trample the leaves. Under no circumstances should you do this! The neck of the bulb, deformed in this way, gets soil, water, and various infections. This type of onion cannot be stored!
If you really want the bulb to ripen faster, then for this purpose there is a well-known agronomic technique - pruning the root system at a depth of 10 centimeters. Use a shovel to dig up the bulbs diagonally, but do not damage the plants.
It's time to stop watering the onions (a month before harvesting). It’s bad if the weather is rainy at this time. Excess moisture can cause the bulb to produce fresh leaves instead of becoming overgrown with dry scales. Some gardeners cover onion beds with film before the rain. This technique is effective, but labor-intensive.
It is necessary to water the onions, but this had to be done in the first half of the growing season, while new leaves are growing. Onions have a small root system (it’s very easy to pull onions out of the garden!), so they won’t get water from great depths. Each new onion “feather” grows inside(!) the previous one, and a new juicy bulb scale is formed in the middle of the bulb. If the soil is dry and the bulb is growing, then the newly formed scales will be dry. Then there will be heavy rain - and juicy scales will form again. Such a “puff” onion will not be stored and will quickly rot. So if the onion leaves in your garden have already begun to dry out, stop watering.
Readers advise
“In order for the onions to be well stored, a month before harvesting I carry out “reclamation work” on the onion ridge. To do this, I make grooves around the perimeter of the beds using the bayonet of a shovel. The soil in the garden immediately dries out, and the onions can no longer reach water with their small roots. Then I place arcs over the bed, as for cucumbers, and cover them with film. I lift the edges of the film and leave the ends of the film tunnel uncovered. Under such an “umbrella,” onions ripen very quickly in any weather. I always have a great harvest.”
Mikhail Zolotarev, Tambov region.
