Did my first caramelized onions today ! Anything I could improve ?
It took so long, maybe I can speed up the process somehow ? Pot was covered at the start then lid removed to help water evaporate, and fire was medium-low all along.
by tcibils
29 Comments
Kamikaz3J
You can’t heat that many onions at the same time lol half of the pot isn’t even receiving heat..6 hours is kind of crazy you can caramelize onions in 30 min to an hour depending on the type of pan you use (Sautee pan for the most surface area and mixing)
Dismal_Eye_5733
Bigger pot. You want low heat and low moisture for caramelization.
Motherbich
That must have only taken 20,000 years?
bubblegutts00
Gheez this is ridiculous. 6.5 hours 😂😂😂
denvercasey
Dumb question but would having an exhaust fan (range fan) going help reduce moisture? Or point a desk fan at it and increase the heat to compensate for heat loss?
salamandersquach
Don’t listen to the people talking about the onions steaming you did it right and they look great. Certainly can cut your time down to about 1.5-2 hours though. Medium heat with frequent stirring for about 20 minutes until the onions half lost about half of their volume (you don’t want them to get brown) reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until they have reduced by half again then lower heat to low/simmer and stir less regularly.
discordianofslack
This is going to sound crazy, but what I do is start them in a bowl covered and microwave them for 5-8m until they are fairly see-through and floppy then I move them to the pan. Dramatically reduces the time needed to finish them.
owleealeckza
Next time don’t be stingy & mail me a lil sample 😭
Don’t cover the pot at all. Start on medium high and keep them moving to reduce moisture and prevent burning. Once they start turning clear reduce the heat. You could experiment with adding very small amounts of baking soda to decrease cooking time as the Mylar reaction will break down the cell walls of the onion, but too much and it’ll turn to mush.
sauerkraut916
I’m curious If you got the flavor and texture you wanted?? If you did, then you did it right. 👍🏼
In chef school (strict guidelines) your caramelized onions would not pass. They look like chopped, stewed onions. Too wet to be caramelized.
In general, caramelized onions are julienned, not chopped into cubes. And they’re cooked in a single layer in a sauté pan. Using too many onions at once in a deep pot will never create true caramelized onions.
Cambot3000
Lower and slower 😈
Turd_Wrangler_Guy
You cannot speed up the process. It takes hours.
You can however cheat and use brown sugar or balsamic vinegar. These aren’t the same but if you don’t have 4-5 hours, you can do that instead.
Open_Dragonfruit9237
Maybe add some thyme? Cooking looks absolutely solid though.
Looks great, use a pot with a flatter bottom next time for faster cooking. Or an electric skillet if you can find one. Alton Brown has a great episode about it, My dad and i watched it when I was a kid, I still have the same electric skillet 20 years later. Still perfect for caramelized onions.
TheBlindRabbit
So much yet so few (yet so good)
SunBelly
I didn’t notice there were more pictures at first and thought this was another shit post. 😂 Looks great, OP
Accomplished_Fun3
I need to go ahead and sample them for reasons. 😀
ConsiderationFit5097
more onions
Gut_Reactions
You need a pot with a larger bottom circumference, straight sides.
Your onions look a little mushy and wet, maybe due to the 6-hour cook time. The color is good, though.
I caramelize ~ 2 lbs. at at time. IIRC, it takes 2.5 to 3 hours (onions starting cold from the fridge). I salt the onions, which draws out moisture. I cut the onions pole to pole.
I don’t use purple onions for caramelizing. IMO, purple onions are for eating raw or in salads, pico de gallo.
thepennyblack
I seriously didn’t notice there were more photos and proceeded to laugh at what I thought was the most clever joke about the process. Haha. Brilliant.
The final product looks delicious though. Great job.
ClintonPudar
Put a little oil in, turn the heat up, done in an hour. You guys can keep your slimy onions..
agoia
Did you add water? A bit of water makes it go so much faster.
Otherwise great job, they look dank.
moaxe99
This could be done in under half an hour with high heat and deglazing
Jesterod
Is that all shrinkage or did you eat wile it was cooking
couchpatat0
So, as a new person to onion lovers, can you tell me what you do with those carmeled onions? Do you use them like other condiments and spread them on a burger or some other dish? They look like a paste. Thanks
29 Comments
You can’t heat that many onions at the same time lol half of the pot isn’t even receiving heat..6 hours is kind of crazy you can caramelize onions in 30 min to an hour depending on the type of pan you use (Sautee pan for the most surface area and mixing)
Bigger pot. You want low heat and low moisture for caramelization.
That must have only taken 20,000 years?
Gheez this is ridiculous. 6.5 hours 😂😂😂
Dumb question but would having an exhaust fan (range fan) going help reduce moisture? Or point a desk fan at it and increase the heat to compensate for heat loss?
Don’t listen to the people talking about the onions steaming you did it right and they look great. Certainly can cut your time down to about 1.5-2 hours though. Medium heat with frequent stirring for about 20 minutes until the onions half lost about half of their volume (you don’t want them to get brown) reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until they have reduced by half again then lower heat to low/simmer and stir less regularly.
This is going to sound crazy, but what I do is start them in a bowl covered and microwave them for 5-8m until they are fairly see-through and floppy then I move them to the pan. Dramatically reduces the time needed to finish them.
Next time don’t be stingy & mail me a lil sample 😭
Watch these videos.
https://youtu.be/I4TSmKv4AMc?si=Pi1QoIvEEkcAdsxc
https://youtu.be/kEfJTmf9hDs?si=CyF6s0kk4MNkqAmD
https://youtu.be/_Nyt3ruO0HI?si=Bi6PMlk8Xi488KQK
https://youtu.be/Ovqhzil3wJw?si=ibQ8GL1B5Tq8ZH1C
Look perfectly done. Slow and low like
Don’t cover the pot at all. Start on medium high and keep them moving to reduce moisture and prevent burning. Once they start turning clear reduce the heat. You could experiment with adding very small amounts of baking soda to decrease cooking time as the Mylar reaction will break down the cell walls of the onion, but too much and it’ll turn to mush.
I’m curious If you got the flavor and texture you wanted?? If you did, then you did it right. 👍🏼
In chef school (strict guidelines) your caramelized onions would not pass. They look like chopped, stewed onions. Too wet to be caramelized.
In general, caramelized onions are julienned, not chopped into cubes. And they’re cooked in a single layer in a sauté pan. Using too many onions at once in a deep pot will never create true caramelized onions.
Lower and slower 😈
You cannot speed up the process. It takes hours.
You can however cheat and use brown sugar or balsamic vinegar. These aren’t the same but if you don’t have 4-5 hours, you can do that instead.
Maybe add some thyme? Cooking looks absolutely solid though.
Yummm
https://youtu.be/Ovqhzil3wJw?si=XwQXSTUoxEhYZxuy
For all u nerds
Looks great, use a pot with a flatter bottom next time for faster cooking. Or an electric skillet if you can find one. Alton Brown has a great episode about it, My dad and i watched it when I was a kid, I still have the same electric skillet 20 years later. Still perfect for caramelized onions.
So much yet so few (yet so good)
I didn’t notice there were more pictures at first and thought this was another shit post. 😂 Looks great, OP
I need to go ahead and sample them for reasons. 😀
more onions
You need a pot with a larger bottom circumference, straight sides.
Your onions look a little mushy and wet, maybe due to the 6-hour cook time. The color is good, though.
I caramelize ~ 2 lbs. at at time. IIRC, it takes 2.5 to 3 hours (onions starting cold from the fridge). I salt the onions, which draws out moisture. I cut the onions pole to pole.
I don’t use purple onions for caramelizing. IMO, purple onions are for eating raw or in salads, pico de gallo.
I seriously didn’t notice there were more photos and proceeded to laugh at what I thought was the most clever joke about the process. Haha. Brilliant.
The final product looks delicious though. Great job.
Put a little oil in, turn the heat up, done in an hour. You guys can keep your slimy onions..
Did you add water? A bit of water makes it go so much faster.
Otherwise great job, they look dank.
This could be done in under half an hour with high heat and deglazing
Is that all shrinkage or did you eat wile it was cooking
So, as a new person to onion lovers, can you tell me what you do with those carmeled onions? Do you use them like other condiments and spread them on a burger or some other dish? They look like a paste. Thanks