Frozen Pearl Onions Are Just As Good Fresh, Without The Hassle Of Peeling
Anyone who's ever spent much time in the kitchen knows that onions can be a bit of a hassle. While the veggie is a flavor booster, you have to go through the process of peeling and slicing up your onion. There's also the pesky fact that onions have the tendency to make people cry, and the last thing you want is to look like you just watched a devastating romance movie in the kitchen. Consider using frozen pearl onions as the onion you should be cooking with instead.
Not only are pearl onions bite-sized, which negates the need to do much chopping, but they're also pre-peeled. This should solve the issue of tears while cooking and also make things more convenient when prepping for your meal. You can replace regular onions with pearl onions in almost any recipe with similar results. However, it's important to note that the texture may be slightly different. Since the pearl onions were frozen, they don't quite have that same crispness or bite, but they make up for this fact with a stronger onion flavor. When cooked in a skillet or part of a recipe, they're almost as good as fresh onions. We believe the convenience of their use outweighs any drawbacks with texture.
Why you should consider incorporating pearl onions
From a cost perspective, frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh vegetables, saving you money at checkout. They also typically come in larger quantities, making them perfect for larger families and households. You also don't have to worry about your produce spoiling as fast as it would if it were fresh. For these reasons, using pearl onions from the freezer aisle seems like an easy choice. Chefs also agree. Chef Chris Dickerson explained his love of the veggie to Food & Wine, saying, "The flavor of frozen pearl onions is almost as good as fresh. If something's almost as good but much simpler, it's a no-brainer for me."
If you're going to incorporate frozen pearl onions into your recipe, be sure to do so properly, especially when it comes to defrosting. According to the USDA, the best way to defrost frozen veggies is by letting them thaw in the fridge, using cold water thawing, or warming them up in the microwave. The last thing you want to do is let your pearl onions sit out on the counter all day, as that risks potential food poisoning. As a last resort, you can cook pearl onions while they're still frozen. It'll just take about 50% longer.