Onions can really spice up the flavor of various dishes. And I love the flavor that grilled onions give out when combined with different dishes.
What’s more, I love it so much that I’m willing to savor it in every dish I make. But that’s really time-consuming!
What to do, then?
The best alternative method to that is freezing grilled onions! It saves you so much time and cuts down on your expenses so much!
But can you freeze grilled onions?
Yes, it’s true that you can freeze grilled onions in your freezer using the proper methods. The best thing about this is that you can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months and save time grilling them each time you need them. It creates less waste, meaning you save money!
How to Freeze Grilled Onions
I have to admit it takes a lot of time to prepare and freeze grilled onions.
But if you take into account the time it takes to grill onions each time you want them, the sum total is way more compared to freezing.
The whole process I use to freeze grilled onions includes grilling them, cooling them down, flash-freezing them, bagging and sealing them, labeling them, and storing them in the freezer.
What does that entail?
I’ll let you in on the details in a bit!
Grilling the Onions
I like to liven up my onions with a lot of different spices before grilling them. You can try these:
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Brown Sugar
- Dry Mustard
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Coarse salt
I start preheating my grill on high heat while peeling as many onions as I need to store in the freezer.
Cutting them into round slices, I coat them in a bit of olive oil mixed with all the ingredients listed above in a small bowl. Then I put the onion slices in a pan and place that on the grill to cook.
After cooking the onions for about 5 to 7 minutes while making sure each side is seared correctly, and the slices are tender on the inside, I take them off the grill.
Cooling Down
Now you can’t just put your grilled onions straight into the freezer. You need to cool them down before you move up to that step.
Why?
Because when you put hot food in the freezer, the temperature inside the freezer begins to fluctuate.
And that will make the surrounding frozen foods in the freezer start to thaw and then refreeze once the temperature begins to fall down.
The problem with this is that the food items in your freezer will start to get freezer burns if they refreeze, which you don’t want happening.
Flash-Freezing
Taking this step is completely up to you because it does have some drawbacks. Short answer, it could stick up your freezer.
Then why do it?
You go through this process to ensure that the taste and nutrients of your grilled onions stay intact, even after freezing.
Now let me tell you what flash-freezing is if you don’t already know.
In this process, you take all your grilled onion slices and put them in the freezer for an hour or less on a baking sheet.
The only condition?
You have to keep each slice from touching one another! Or else they will end up stuck to each other.
However, this process can leave behind the smell of onions lingering in your freezer. I personally don’t mind it, so I get on with this step. But can you?
Bagging and Sealing
There are two ways of storing your grilled onions in the freezer, you could either put them in a plastic container or a freezer-friendly plastic bag.
I stick to plastic zipper bags instead of using big containers!
How come?
Only because I find them better at keeping the air out and sealing properly!
And the less air is around the onions, the fewer chances you get of freezer burns. To state the obvious, you don’t want to see freezer burns on your onions!
Now the process:
- Divide your grilled onions into portions you would like to have in one go.
- Place the portions in small plastic bags.
- Put enough pressure on each bag to take out all the excess air.
- Seal them shut tightly.
Tip: You can try using a vacuum sealer instead of doing it manually. They are better at getting all the air out!
Labeling
One thing I don’t forget to do is label each bag with the freezing date, so I don’t end up forgetting how long to use them for.
We’re all human, and we tend to forget things. So I’d rather not take the chance!
Storing in the Freezer
All you have to do for this step is to make sure the temperature of the freezer is at freezing or below. Otherwise, you might face some issues you simply don’t need to!
After that, stack the bags in a single tray or more if you need them, and place them firmly in the freezer.
And you’re done!
Final Verdict
Can you freeze grilled onions? Yes, you can absolutely freeze grilled onions to use for months without having to grill them each time you want them.
I use the methods that I’m comfortable with, and it took me a while to get them right.
Just give my technique a try and see if it suits you!
Leave a Reply