25 pounds of onions!!!

So I requested my dear hubby to please pick up some keeper onions so I could dry them. Why??? I like using dehydrated onions for crock pot cooking: soups, broths, stews and such. So much easier, even more so when I have to hurry out the door, but want yumminess for dinner.

Well, these are not keeper onions, they are white or yellow onions, and they are HOT. Like your eyes are burning for days after peeling them. Not to mention the tears, and your nose running. These were super super hot. I didn't know this, and I gave 5 of them to my neighbor. After I pulled 20 in to my kitchen and cut them up with a knife, I realized.. HOLY CRAP these are hot! This took me 45 to an hour!! When I was done getting 5 dehydrator trays full, I ran to the bathroom and washed my face and eyes 4 times!! Then had to go back a half an hour later as my eyes were tearing so bad. I looked like I was super upset and crying all day!  I let those bad boys dry for 48 hours!!

EPIPHANY!!!

ALL of a sudden, I remembered my sister had given me an Vidalia Chop Wizard!!! I had emptied my dehydrator trays the night before. So this next morning, I pulled out my VCW, peeled my onions, cut off the bottoms and tops, cut down the middle from top to bottom, a couple I put on the chopper the wrong way and got bigger slices. But that's ok, I don't care really because I got my cookie sheet full of onions chopped in 10 minutes!! Five full dehydrator trays, less tears, still had to wash my face, but way less tears and snot. This thing was slick!

And my little guy was happier too, as the onions were so hot he had to go outside to breath! Well needless to say, you did not want to go into my garage that first 4 hours after I turned on the dehydrator, in fact not within 24 hours!

This is what a full tray looked like, sorry for the sun glare on the counter. These ones I cut the long way, you were supposed to put it on the chopper so you get a big mince. But I put it on bottom to top, instead of sideways, and got long onions.. Ok for stew! The time saver of the VCW was worth it either way!

I decided because I had so many onions, and carrots and some celery,  to chop up some Mirepoix to have in my freezer, so I can just grab and dump. the VCW does not like to do small dice on carrots.. But here it is.

I also decided to cook 2 cups of it up so that I could puree it, and freeze in ice cube trays and have it ready to throw into stuff when I need some deeper flavor.

Ice cube trays are great for freezing pureed foods, but also for freezing fresh minced herbs in broth or water. Then you can preserve them and add them to anything, and get that fresh taste.

So Here is the full dehydrator after enough hours I could handle going into the garage, but the onions were not done, although they darkened, they were still moist.

Ever wonder how to store your dehydrated foods? In a dark cool area, in sealed jars. If you live in a humid area, you may need to invest in a jar sealer. Mine just broke, dang it, but I loved it while it lasted for 18 years!

Who knew 22 pounds of onions could fit in 4 quart jars and 1 pint jar?! So much less space. These smell amazing dry by the way. I hope they are not super hot when I use them to cook. So glad to have these onions done, and so very thankful to my sister for her Christmas gift last year. I have used it for a few things, but let me tell you, I will be using this much more often! LOVE IT!