TOP 10 ways to properly freeze green onions for the winter at home

Green onions are an excellent seasoning for many dishes, giving them a piquant and original taste. In summer, almost everyone has greens on their table, but in winter, one can only dream about them. Therefore, in order to receive the necessary vitamins in winter, the seasoning can not only be dried, but also frozen. In order for greens to retain their properties, you need to know how to properly freeze green onions.

Is it possible to freeze green and onions for the winter?

Yes, and even necessary. Frozen greens retain all valuable vitamins, such as:

• vitamin B, which improves brain activity and the nervous system;
• vitamin B1, which controls the acidity level of the human body and normalizes cholesterol;
• vitamin B5, which helps accelerate metabolic processes in the body;
• vitamin A, which stimulates the growth of new cells;
• vitamin C – has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole;
• Vitamin E – helps improve the condition of the skin, hair follicles and nails.

Subtleties of freezing

Every housewife should know how to prepare green onions for the winter.

IMPORTANT! For freezing, it is better to take small portions, which is more convenient to use. If you freeze greens repeatedly, all of their valuable qualities are lost.

To preserve vitamins as much as possible, the feathers are placed in a metal sieve, dipped in boiling water and held for no more than half a minute, and then doused with cold water.

After defrosting, it is better to use onions in preparing various dishes. It is advisable not to eat it raw.

How to choose and prepare the product correctly

For freezing, you need to pay attention to the brightness of the product, juiciness and color. The darker the onion, the more nutrients it contains. Feathers contain less vitamins than the white part. It is very important that the greens are fresh. If the onion sits for at least three days, it will lose half of its vitamins. Before freezing it must be washed, preferably with cold water, from the shower. But you can also do it in a basin or bowl, changing the water at least three times.

Important! You cannot scald onions with boiling water - all the vitamins will be destroyed and the product will be half cooked.

Place the washed feathers in a colander. When the water has drained, pour it onto a soft, well-absorbent cloth in one layer and wait 1-1.5 hours until the onion dries. We cut the feathers into small pieces, as for salads. This way the sliced ​​product will suit any dish.

After chopping the greens, place them again on a (dry) napkin to dry for 1.5 hours. Before freezing, the product must be cooled, because then it will retain all its richness of vitamins and will not stick together. To do this, transfer the onions to a tray and place them in the freezer for 3-4 hours. After this, you can freeze the product for storage.

Preparing the refrigerator before starting the process

Before freezing a product in freezers, you must empty one of the drawers of unnecessary products, wash and dry it.

Place the bags or container of onions tightly in a well-dried box. If the refrigerator has a “Quick Freeze” function, set it for two hours. Freezing will go faster and the vitamins will be better preserved. If the refrigerator does not have such a function, then the product is frozen at -10 - 15 degrees. This is the optimal temperature.

Methods for freezing onions at home

In order to prepare fresh herbs for the winter using freezing, there are very simple and accessible recipes for everyone. You can freeze in different and universal ways. Let's look at some of them.

Whole freezing

If you choose this method, then you need to do the following:

1. Carefully place fresh, carefully selected and well-washed onion arrows on a plastic bag or cling film and roll them into a tube.
2. Cut off the excess film, moisten its edges with water and secure.
3. Freeze the finished tube in the freezer.

This freezing method is more suitable for preparing salads.

Shredded in bags

A very convenient and good way to preserve greens for the winter. To prevent onions from losing their beneficial and tasteful qualities, you must follow the freezing rules:

• The washed and sorted onions are cut into small pieces, after which they are distributed evenly on the board to prevent sticking. You need to freeze the resulting slices in the freezer for about half an hour. After the specified time, the chopped product is taken out and transferred to a dry and clean bag;
• The resulting workpiece in the bag is given a flat shape so that it takes up as little space as possible in the freezer. To do this, the bag is tied and excess air is removed from it;
• After all these steps, place the freezer bag in the freezer.

And when you open the package in winter, your kitchen will be filled with the pleasant aroma and freshness of herbs.

Fried in oil

This may sound unusual, but onions can be frozen even when fried in oil. To do this you need to do the following:

• first you need to cut it into small pieces in the form of cubes or half rings;
• then fry it over low heat with the addition of vegetable oil;
• then you need to drain it in a colander and pack it in plastic bags, then put it in a freezing chamber.

With this method, the product will remain not only aromatic, but also dense. Another advantage of this preparation method is that such onions will not completely freeze or harden, and this will reduce the cooking time, because you will not need to defrost them first.

Important! In this case, it is important not to overdo it, because products that are overcooked do not tolerate temperatures below zero degrees very well. And also, if there is not a lot of free space in the freezer, then the fried onions can be placed in a dense layer in a glass jar, screw on tightly with a lid, and keep it in the refrigerator in this form.

Freezing in ice trays

Greens can also be frozen in ice cube trays. It is necessary to cut the greens into small pieces and place them in molds for freezing ice. After the product freezes, it must be packaged in bags and placed in the freezer. This type of frozen food can be stored for about 6 months. This preparation is very convenient to use for soup, borscht, okroshka.

Onions in a plastic bottle

Another unusual way to freeze greens for the winter.

1. The product is thoroughly washed under running water, using a cloth, preferably a thick one, and dried. You can also dry the green shoots in the sun, for about thirty minutes, or with a hairdryer, directing cool air onto the greens.
2. This preparation requires certain rules - chopped greens and a plastic bottle must be well dried. This is the only way to easily pour frozen onions out of a plastic bottle.
3. The next step is to fill the bottle with the chopped product and screw the cap tightly.
4. It is advisable to use small plastic bottles with a volume of 0.5 liters, this will be convenient for further use.

How long to store frozen onions in the freezer

Housewives who decide to freeze greens for the first time often wonder how long they can stay in the freezer without losing their taste and beneficial properties.Shelf life varies, from two months to six months, and depends not only on the temperature in the freezer, but also on the method of preparing greens for freezing.

For example, if you froze an onion at -18 degrees, it will quietly lie all winter and, when defrosted, will be no worse than fresh.

If the thermometer shows -8 degrees, the shelf life is reduced by 2 times, and after three months it is no longer recommended to use it in cooking. After all, the greens will no longer have the desired aroma and vitamins. It is even advisable to use the product within 1-2 months. It is during this period that onions are maximally enriched with beneficial properties.

Important! If you decide to freeze onions for the winter, you should be aware that they will have a strong odor for the first two or three weeks, even though they are frozen. This smell can be absorbed by other foods, which may affect their taste. To prevent this from happening, packaged greens can be placed either a short distance from or above other food items.

Experienced housewives recommend freezing onions in the freezer and even believe that greens can be stored for a whole year, until the next season. The beneficial properties and aroma of greens, of course, will be several times less than that of a fresh product, but, nevertheless, this is a good way to saturate the body with vitamins and diversify the diet.

Properly defrost and use onions

You can defrost products in the following ways:

1. Just in the refrigerator. This is a long process, taking about two and a half hours, and sometimes more. But at the same time, the product’s solid consistency and fresh, rich aroma are preserved.
2. At a temperature of about 20-24 degrees (room temperature).You can leave the frozen preparation on the table. The defrosting time will depend on how the product was stored and at what temperature the product was frozen. Frozen greens will be watery and soft using this defrosting method. But it will retain its taste and can be used for cooking.
3. In the microwave. This method will save your time. The whole process takes about 5-6 minutes. But the main thing is not to keep the product in the microwave for more than necessary, otherwise defrosting will turn into cooking. To avoid this, you need to set the oven power to minimum mode.
4. Defrosting in water. Many people believe that if you put frozen greens in a bowl of cold water before using them, their taste will remain exactly the same as fresh ones.

Important! You can do without defrosting altogether if you prepared a blanched product.

Prepared frozen onions are used in preparing various dishes. Most often in vegetable stews, various soups, and minced meat. This additive not only has a pleasant aroma, but also gives food a special taste and saturates it with vitamins necessary for the human body. But frozen greens require heat treatment; it is better not to eat them raw.

It is not recommended to refreeze vegetables, including green onions, as they will become slippery, limp, have an unpleasant odor, and lose their beneficial properties. If you want to enjoy summer produce all year round, freezing is a great solution. Frozen green onions are not inferior to fresh ones in their usefulness and taste. When properly frozen and stored, you can enjoy vitamin-packed meals year-round.