An expert shares the best way to freeze "the champagne of onions."
Yes, you can freeze Vidalia onions like any other onion, but it can be nerve-wracking to transfer them from countertop to freezer without worrying you'll lose that distinctive sweet Vidalia flavor. Frozen Breakfast Potatoes
"Vidalia onions are a variety of sweet onion that have higher water and sugar content than other varieties of onion," says John Shuman, president and CEO of Shuman Farms. This makes them more vulnerable and their shelf life slightly shorter than red, white, or yellow onions, for instance.
According to Shuman, Vidalia onions should be stored in a cool, dry place to prolong their shelf life, but sometimes the inevitable happens: Your onions start to get a little soft to the touch, and you simply don't want to them to spoil. If you find yourself about to lose the race against time with an abundance of Vidalias, follow these tips for freezing them.
A Vidalia onion is a hybrid varietal of the Granex, a sweet and mild onion, named specifically for the county in Georgia where it was first grown. According to Shuman, it was discovered by accident. A local farmer planted onions as a cover crop, but, thanks to the unique soil and climate, they tasted distinctly sweet and delicious enough to get their very own name.
There's a reason why many people call Vidalias "the champagne of onions," according to Shuman. To be a proper “Vidalia,” it must be grown within a specific 20-county area of Georgia where soil is particularly sandy and the sulfur content of the soil is lower. This lends a sweeter, less pungent taste to the Vidalia than other sweet onions that grow in soils containing higher levels of sulfur.
Yes, you can freeze Vidalia onions and use them for future recipes like Vidalia Onion Soup or Caramelized Vidalia Onion Pasta. Because their season stretches from April to September, it’s common to end up with more onions than you know what to do with.
Instead of letting them go to waste, you can chop and freeze them to use later. Shuman recommends using frozen chopped Vidalia onion in cooking and baking applications. As for recipes that call for raw slices, it's best to stick with fresh Vidalias—once thawed, they'll lose their crisp bite and won't be as pleasant to eat.
Peel onions and chop them roughly or finely into small cubes—it's up to you. Chopping or slicing before freezing helps preserve the sugars and juices from the onion evenly, retaining those classic sweet flavors throughout the freezing process (as the water and sugar content expands and shifts).
Shuman recommends arranging them on a cookie sheet and placing them in the freezer. Once frozen, you can easily toss them in a freezer-safe bag or resealable container. Use them as needed to make a variety of recipes all year long.
Frozen Food When incorporating these versatile, sweet onions into fresh summery recipes like Cucumber And Vidalia Onion Salad, it's best to work with onions that are firm and fresh. If you find yourself with an abundance of Vidalias that you don't know what to do with (other than perhaps make our Vidalia Onion Soufflé which uses a whopping four cups), freeze them to use in soups, stews, caramelized sauces and dips all year long.