HOW TO DRY ONIONS

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Dehydrating onions is a great way of preserving them in an easy-to-use form. Due to the fact that they're 88% water, they shrink quite a lot when dried, which means they take up less storage space & will keep for a long time.

Due to the strong smell of onions, it's advisable not to do any other produce at the same time.

To dry your onions, simply peel & slice them into 5mm slices or rings. Spread them onto Mesh Sheets & dehydrate at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium) for 10 hours or until they are crisp.

To turn your dried onion into flakes or powder, put them into a food processor or blender & process until ground into the desired size. To create onion salt, mix equal parts salt with finely ground onion powder.

To store, place in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.

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ONION SALAD DRESSING

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Ingredients

1 cup rehydrated diced white onions
2 tsp chopped rehydrated garlic, or
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups olive oil or other oil
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor & process until thoroughly mixed. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Keeps refrigerated for 3-4 weeks.

Using this as a base recipe you can substitue different flavours of vinegar, such as balsamic or tarragon.

This recipe can be used on top of your fresh salad, or as a marinade for meat & poultry.

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Recipe courtesy of The Dehydrator Cookbook, by Joanna White.

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ONION PIE

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Ingredients

Ready-rolled short pastry to line a 20cm (8in) pie dish
1 cup dehydrated onion
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup yoghurt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Line a greased 20cm (8in) pie dish with pastry. Prick holes in the bottom with a fork, bake in a moderate oven at 180 deg C for 10 minutes.

Place oil in a warm frypan and cook onions quickly. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Beat together yoghurt, eggs and sugar, add cumin, salt & pepper.

Spread onion over pastry, top with the yoghurt mixture & cook at 200 deg C for 40 minutes or until set.

Serve with vegetables or salad & enjoy!

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Recipe courtesy of Drying Food, by Ricky M Gribling

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ONION SOUP

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Ingredients

1 cup dehydrated onion flakes
1 Tbsp oil
3 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
4 slices French bread
4 Tbsp grated Swiss cheese
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Method

Quickly fry onions in oil, add stock & bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes, adjust seasoning.

Lightly toast bread, sprinkle with cheese, grill for 2 minutes.

 

Pour soup into a bowl, top with bread & cheese and enjoy!

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Recipe courtesy of Drying Food, by Ricky M Gribling.

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