What's the worst part about caramelizing onions
Could it be that it takes forever to achieve the final result? If you'd like to spend more time eating and less time stirring onions
keep watching to learn some tricks to speed up the process. Like baking, cooking can be a science and an art
However, cooking can be less exacting and more forgiving than baking. Of course, not everyone agrees
Some claim that baking can be as much an exercise in creativity and flexibility
But have you ever tried to improvise baking a batch of gluten-free cookies
based on a recipe that calls for ordinary wheat flour? There's more room to improvise in cooking
For example, there isn't one correct way to caramelize onions. Rather many variations exist
as J. Kenji Lopez-Alt points out in his ysis via Serious Eats
And while Lopez-Alt does make some strong scientific arguments about why his process makes the best caramelized onions
we argue you could still make the best caramelized onions while improvising on his method In his Food Lab column for Serious Eats Lopez suggests several science hacks for making the best caramelized onions
What becomes immediately apparent, however, is that when he says best, what he really means is
fastest. In this particular column, Lopez-Alt does acknowledge that caramelizing onions traditionally requires as much as 45 minutes of cooking over very low heat. In fact, as Serious
Eats has stated, recipes that call for less time should be used with caution
I like to live dangerously. We too like to live dangerously. But nevertheless, Lopez-Alt points out that there's something to be
said for getting the same results in less time. The managing culinary director of Serious Eats
spent a week coming up with a science-based method for caramelizing onions that takes a
mere 15 to 20 minutes. That method involves adding actual sugar to the onions. Scientifically
speaking, when you caramelize onions, you're getting those onions to release their sugars
into the sweet and jammy end result Accordingly adding sugar should help make up for some of the natural sugar that won be released from the onions in a mere 20 minutes of cooking How about that Of course you need the right onions for the task
Of course, I knew that! Lopez-Alt's science-based method for making the best caramelized onions in
quick time involves using an ordinary yellow onion as opposed to a sweet onion. The reason
is that, as Lopez-Alt explains, yellow onions possess, quote, pungent irritants that add depth
to the sweetness of the onions as they caramelize. Yellow onions also contain higher levels of natural
sugars than, say, red onions. Using a yellow onion will also replace some of the depth that
cooking the onions slowly over a much longer period of time would otherwise have produced
Next comes the addition of actual sugar. Lopez-Alt says he found a touch of sugar is all you need
The added sugar will stand in for some of the caramelization that won't take place because of
the quicker cooking time. But don't worry, there are other methods to achieve the caramelization and coloring
that would occurred over 45 minutes Caramelization begins when most of the liquid has cooked out of the onions and the sugar breaks down into smaller compounds that are sweeter than actual sugar But how do these things happen when the cooking time is halved
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's process uses a secret ingredient. Baking soda. Baking soda is a base, and the addition of a base encourages the Maillard reaction to take place more quickly
All you need is a pinch. Or, if you want to get scientific about it, no more than a quarter teaspoon per pound
of chopped onions. With the pH of the onions now raised by the baking soda, you can now..
Turn up the heat! Yes, it's the opposite of low and slow, but Lopez-Ault says it works
But if it begins to heat up, it'll turn volatile. Right. But no need to panic
Just make sure to add water to the skillet when it starts getting too hot. Adding water cools the onions slightly, but since caramelization can begin at as low as
230 Fahrenheit, the onions will continue to caramelize faster because the heat source is
more intense