Peeling Pearl Onions

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

After cutting the root end off, cut an 'X' into it. Then
proceed as you have.

--
Mark Shaw
========================================================================
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny....'" - Isaac Asimov

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

???

Thanks in advance.
Bubba

I buy them canned...... ;-)
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"Bubba" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

Heh, they're a [censored], aren't they? I gave up on peeling boiling
onions for my beef stew and buy frozen pearl onions now.
Obviously I don't have your answer, but since boiling onions are
in the stores now, I think I'll make stew this week with them and
remember why I use frozen.

nancy

In article <[email hidden]>,

Nancy Young said:

"Bubba" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

Heh, they're a [censored], aren't they? I gave up on peeling boiling
onions for my beef stew and buy frozen pearl onions now.
Obviously I don't have your answer, but since boiling onions are
in the stores now, I think I'll make stew this week with them and
remember why I use frozen.

nancy

We boil them for awhile then cut the bottom and squeeze them out.
No peeling.

Bill

--
Garden Shade Zone 5 S Jersey USA in a Japanese Jungle Manner.39.6376 -75.0208
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

???

Thanks in advance.
Bubba

I buy them canned...... ;-)

I find the frozen ones to be good.

Peter

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

The first time I used them I spent a lot of time peeling them raw. Then
I learned that you can blanch them, cut off the ends and pop them out.
Then I discovered the frozen pearly onions. I don't even consider using
the raw variety anymore.

William Wagner said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Nancy Young said:

"Bubba" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

Heh, they're a [censored], aren't they? I gave up on peeling boiling
onions for my beef stew and buy frozen pearl onions now.
Obviously I don't have your answer, but since boiling onions are
in the stores now, I think I'll make stew this week with them and
remember why I use frozen.

nancy

We boil them for awhile then cut the bottom and squeeze them out.
No peeling.

That is what I do, but there is always a layer or two of onion that
remains with the skin. You lose about a third of the onions by weight
this way. I do not know of any better way, though, without painstaking
and boring work.

Boilers are usually overpriced in the stores. I came upon a large pack
of mixed, white, red and brown ones at Costco around Thanksgiving and
they didn't cost an arm and a leg. I was mightily pleased.

Since I only make them once a year,. I put up with peeling them. Royal
pain in the butt, if you ask me.

Boron

"William Wagner" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Heh, they're a [censored], aren't they? I gave up on peeling boiling
onions for my beef stew and buy frozen pearl onions now.
Obviously I don't have your answer, but since boiling onions are
in the stores now, I think I'll make stew this week with them and
remember why I use frozen.

Quoted message said:

We boil them for awhile then cut the bottom and squeeze them out.
No peeling.

The cookbook said to do that, I had no luck. I will try that again,
thanks. nancy

In article <[email hidden]>,

P.Aitken said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

???

Thanks in advance.
Bubba

I buy them canned...... ;-)

I find the frozen ones to be good.

Peter

I've not checked those out, thanks!
They would be lower in Sodium.....
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

I buy them canned...... ;-)

The jarred ones work well too.

Hmmm... enlist your most annoying guest to 'help out in the kitchen'
while you break open the first bottle of wine?

Karen MacInerney (who has only dealt with pearl onions once for the
same reason)
Kitchen experimenter, family chauffeur, and culinary mystery author
www.karenmacinerney.com

Bubba said:

Hi all,
After 49 years just had my first experience with fresh pearl
onions....used frozen before.
Could be another 49 if I don't find a better way to peel them.
I snipped the ends off and covered with boiling water...let them sit
approx. 20 minutes....still took me 30-45 seconds per onion to peel.
Figured someone would know a better way.

20 minutes is way too long... you cooked them, actually you over cooked
them.

Cut a shallow 'x' in the root end. Place in a sieve and dip into
boiling water for just two minutes... _immediately plunge into ice
water_ (you also didn't shock them), very important. The skins will
slip right off... to save time place a handful into a clean dish towel
and rub the skins off... leave them in the ice water until all are
peeled. Then carefully slice off the root ends and continue to cook
until done to your liking... they should be a bit crisp... mushy pearl
onions are ruined. If you intend pickling them or using in other
recipes where they will continue to cook, like in cream sauce, or will
caramelize them, then be sure to leave them even more crisp.

Sheldon