Aisha Zakari
Can you freeze caramelized onions? Yes, you can – Caramelized onions freeze really well, and for that reason, you should always make more and store them. These crispy, flavored onions can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What Are Caramelized Onions?
Caramelized onions are onions that are slowly cooked till they become tender and sweet and change to deep gold. The onions are sliced and slowly cooked for up to an hour, till the natural sugars in them begin to caramelize to a brown or deep gold color. These flavored onions are sweet yet savory and tender.
What Are the Different Kinds of Caramelized Onions?
Generally speaking, there are no different types of caramelized onions, as it is gotten from cooking onions over heat for about an hour. But these caramelized onions differ in color, and as such, the types of caramelized onions according to Bon Appetit are:
- Blonde: These onions are slightly brown to milky in color as they are cooked in less than an hour.
- Golden Brown: These onions are cooked for an extended period to achieve a caramel shade of the onions
- Deep Golden Brown: These onions are cooked for an hour and maybe more to achieve these deeply-brown caramelized onions.
You can caramelize any onions either white, purple, or yellow. But yellow is mostly caramelized since they tend to have a burst of flavor and be sweet yet savory.
How to Freeze Caramelized Onions?
To answer the question of whether can you freeze caramelized onions, there are three different ways to go about freezing caramelized onions. The easiest way to freeze caramelized onions is by using a freezer or seal bag, these are mostly found in every household.
1. Freezer/Ziploc Bag
The freezer/Ziploc bag is most commonly used for freezing food products. It never lets you down. To freeze caramelized onions, do this:
STEP 1: Pour in caramelized onions onto a clean freezer/ziplock bag
STEP 2: After filling the bag, lay it flat till it is evenly spread
STEP 3: When doing this, push out excess air from the freezer/ziplock bag
STEP 4: Label today’s date using a marker pen
STEP 5: Place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
2. Muffin Tins/Cupcake Pan
Another safe alternative to freezing caramelized onions is using muffin tins or a cupcake pan. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:
STEP 1: Place a cling film or plastic wrap in line on the muffin tin or cupcake pan
STEP 2: Spoon the caramelized onions into the holes of the pan or tin
STEP 3: Push onions into the hole using the spoon to properly fill the holes
STEP 4: Now, cover the top with another sheet of cling film or plastic wrap.
STEP 5: Place the tin or pan in the freezer for about 5–6 hours to set caramelized onions in place.
STEP 6: Remove from the freezer and pop out frozen caramelized onion holes
STEP 7: Now you have like a frozen cube of caramelized onions
STEP 8: Put them in a freezer bag, label the storage date, and return them to the freezer. You can easily take one out whenever you are ready to cook.
3. Ice Cube Trays
You could freeze your caramelized onions in an ice cube tray. To do this, follow these steps:
STEP 1: Spoon caramelized onions onto ice cube trays
STEP 2: Push in onions down into the cube tray using the spoon
STEP 3: Now, place this in the freezer till set and frozen
STEP 4: When frozen, pop cubes of caramelized onions out of the ice cubes tray
STEP 5: Put them in a container or freezer/ziploc bag, record today’s date, and return them to the freezer.
These three methods are safe options for freezing caramelized onions, and they are most likely already in your kitchen. When you are ready to use frozen caramelized onions, simply melt them in a pot or pan over medium heat.
How Long Can You Freeze Caramelized Onions?
You can freeze caramelized onions for about 3 months.
We recommend you freeze caramelized onions in ice cube trays and store them in a freezer/ziploc bag, as they are easy to pop out and cook when ready.
3 Tips for Freezing Caramelized Onions
Now, the question of whether can you freeze caramelized onions has been answered, here are a few tips to keep in mind when freezing them.
TIP 1: Allow caramelized onions to cool off completely before freezing them.
TIP 2: Always remove or push out excess air from the freezer bag before sealing and freezing.
TIP 3: If using containers, make use of clean, airtight containers with lids.
How Do You Defrost Caramelized Onions?
To defrost caramelized onions, there are two steps you can follow:
STEP 1: Simply defrost frozen caramelized onions over heat when cooking in a pot or skillet or saucepan by throwing them in.
STEP 2:
- Bring out the frozen caramelized onions from the fridge.
- Place it on a sieve of filter
- Run lukewarm water through it till it begins to melt
- Use the defrosted caramelized onions once thawed
How to Tell If Your Frozen Caramelized Onion Is Bad
To tell if frozen caramelized onions are bad, watch out for key signs like changes in appearance, the appearance of molds, and changes in texture and smell.
Does Caramelized Onions Freeze Well?
Yes, caramelized onions freeze well, on the condition that it is stored and packaged properly to prevent burn and degradation of taste.
Can You Refreeze Caramelized Onions?
No. Refreezing caramelized onions will affect their flavor, taste, and that sweet yet savory taste.
Conclusion
Have you made a large portion of caramelized onions and begun to ask ‘’can you freeze caramelized onions’’. This article has answered your question and I hope has been informative.
I hope this article was helpful.
You could also check out: Can you freeze Chili with Kidney Beans?
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Thanks a lot am glad you finds it helpful.Yes there are lots of them. You can go to (https://kitchen.northpad.ng/category/kitchen-tips/)