The spring onions are small, but very tasty. The peel of this type of onion is thinner and more difficult to peel than larger onions. Below you will find several methods to perfectly and easily peel these delights.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Blanch and Peel
Step 1. Boil some water in a saucepan
Fill a saucepan halfway with water. Put it on high heat and wait for it to start boiling.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl with ice. Place about one glass of ice (250ml) in a medium bowl, then fill halfway with cold water. Let the ice cool down further as you proceed with the next steps
Step 2. Cut off the tip of the roots
With a sharp knife, cut off the root tips of each onion. If as you cut the peel starts to come off on its own, use your fingers to peel off as much of it as possible.
- At this point, don't worry about removing any other peel that hasn't peeled off on its own yet.
- Note the difference between the tip of the root and that of the stem; the latter is characterized by a very thin cluster of peel that extends to the top of the onion. The root tip, on the other hand, has a thick root visible above the onion skin layer. For this method, and for this step, you only need to remove the tip of the root.
Step 3. Boil the spring onions
Put them in boiling water and let them cook for two to three minutes.
- The onions will only have to boil until the skin on the sides of the top of the edible layer has softened. If you leave the onions in the water for more than three minutes, they will begin to cook and soften.
- Do not put the lid on the pot while the onions are heating up.
Step 4. Move the onions to the bowl with ice
Use a pitted spoon to remove the onions from the boiling water. Quickly dip them into the bowl with ice and leave them for two to three minutes.
If you don't have a pitted spoon, you can also drain the water using a colander or sieve
Step 5. Squeeze the skin off the onions
Take each chilled spring onion from the side of the stem. Squeeze the paper-thin peel, pushing towards the onion as you work. The spring onions should gradually come out of the skin as you squeeze them.
- Repeat this step as many times as necessary to remove all the peel.
- As you squeeze the onions, be sure to point them towards a bowl or container to drop them.
Step 6. Dry the spring onions
If the onions are moist, soak up the water by rubbing them with clean kitchen paper.
This step completes the process
Method 2 of 3: Soak and Peel
Step 1. Put the onions in a large bowl
Put them all in a large heat-resistant bowl. Make sure there is enough space at the top for about 2.5cm of water left.
Make sure the bowl you are going to use can withstand very high temperatures. Many glass, metal, and thick plastic bowls are safe, but others, such as thin plastic, can melt or break when exposed to high temperatures. Don't use Styrofoam bowls and remember that metal and glass will get hot in the process, so keep some oven mitts handy
Step 2. Boil the water
Fill a kettle or saucepan with enough water to cover the onions. Put the pot on high heat and let it boil.
Boiling water in the microwave is not recommended because the water tends to get too hot, causing the container to explode. However, if you prefer to use the microwave anyway, use the microwave dish and place a non-metal stick or spoon in the dish to reduce surface tension. Heat the water in short intervals of 30 seconds until it reaches a temperature of 100 ° C
Step 3. Pour the water over the onions
Leave in the hot water for two to three minutes.
- Make sure all the onions are completely submerged.
- Warm water will help soften the peel, making it easier to remove. The fact that the water is no longer boiling reduces the risk of cooking onions by mistake; for this reason, this method is often used instead of the former.
Step 4. Drain
Pour the contents of the bowl into a colander to drain the water. Then put the onions back into the bowl.
- Use clean, dry kitchen paper to dry both the onions and the bowl after draining the water.
- Alternatively, you can remove the onions from the water with a pitted spoon. When you're done, put them on a cutting board.
Step 5. Cut both tips
With a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from both the root and the stem of each spring onion.
As you cut, you will notice that some of the peel will come off with the cut slice. Use your fingers to remove as much peel as you can
Step 6. Remove the remaining peel
At this point, the remaining peel will be soft enough to be easily peeled off with your fingers. Continue until they are completely peeled.
- To facilitate the process, you can lift the peel with the tip of a knife. After softening the side of a section of peel, take it with your hands and peel it.
- At the end of this step, the process will be complete.
Method 3 of 3: Cut and Peel
Step 1. Remove a strip of peel
Place a sharp peeler under a section of the peel at the height of the stem and cut a thin slice. Slide the peeler over the peel strip, making it detach from the stem at the root.
- Note the difference between the root tip and the stem tip; the latter is characterized by a very thin cluster of peel that extends to the top of the onion. The root tip, on the other hand, has a thick root visible above the onion skin layer.
- Contrary to previous methods, this method does not require the use of hot water.
Step 2. Repeat if necessary
Continue lifting and peeling thin strips of peel from the onion with the peeler. Repeat the initial step until the peel is completely removed.
Since the peel is very thin, removing it by hand can be difficult. Using the knife is easier, but if you prefer try it with your hands anyway
Step 3. Cut both tips
With a sharp knife, cut thin slices from the tip of the root and stem.
- The tips of the stems and roots are hard and tasteless, so it is recommended to remove them before cooking the onions.
- This is the last step in the process.
