I've mentioned before that I belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I share a share with a friend. But, she doesn't eat onions. This is what happens when you get the whole share of onions over a month or so.
(I'm apologizing in advance for the photos. I didn't realize until much later that the lens had gotten dirty so everything was fuzzy. I enhanced as best I could on a 3 year old iPad)
Onions are easy to caramelize and there seems to be all kinds of different ways in which people make them. Several years back I made a zucchini and caramelized onion quiche and decided that I liked these onions the best. Plus, it makes a relatively big batch, great for portioning out and freezing for later.
But first I had to peel them. A lot of them were small, so this took forever! Once peeled I needed to stop for coffee and the newspaper.
Turns out there were some shallots in there too. Oops. Same family, they will be fine and fit in fine with the other family members.
Next it was time to slice off the root end and slice everything vertically.
With some butter, olive oil, kosher salt, and 12 cups of sliced onions and shallots, it was time to get going.
The onions are cooked on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Here they are at 15 minutes.
And the heat lowered to medium-low, still only stirring occasionally. 50 minutes later they look like this.
Now you need to attend to it a bit more, stirring frequently for another 10 minutes or so. Rely on your taste. You want it silky smooth, with no real resistance when you bite into a strand.
Delicious.
I freeze them in 1/4 cup portions. They are wonderful on sandwiches, pizzas, and yes, that zucchini and caramelized onion quiche. One of our favorite uses is for a gruyere, roasted mushroom, and caramelized onion grilled sandwich.
Here is a link to the Cooking Light recipe including the caramelized onions.
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/vegetarian-meals/zucchini-caramelized-onion-quiche_2
Labels: Preserving, Seasoning and Condiments
