Caramelizing Onions


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
Such a simple term but, after quite a few half hearted attempts, one that I haven't achieved let alone mastered.

I've sweated, browned, sauteed (I think?) and burned many an onion but I've never reached that deep, sticky consistency that I see on TV.

Questions:

The Onion - I assume you can use any but I generally try to use a vidalia, yellow or texas onion (these are the labels I get from local Toronto grocers).

The Cut - Not too fussy but maybe a 1/2 to 1 centimetre wide half moons. I started out trying a small dice and this is where the burn came in.

The Fat - Oil and butter. I'm not too fussy about olive oil vs others. Rachael Ray has done more for Extra Virgin than Kleenex has for tissue but I generally use canola or another vegetable oil. I don't really measure the ratio of butter vs. oil but it just looks right.

The Cook - I toss the onions in the fat to start and cook on a medium low setting (I have an electric stove that I'm not a fan of). I don't add salt or sugar but I've read they help. I try to have patience but I believe this is my downfall. In reading, I see 10 minutes to an hour. I've never gone the distance of an hour but they seem to dry out before 30 minutes.

This would indicate to me the addition of more fat but then I worry about cold oil added to a hot pan (BTW, I generally use a teflon fry pan) being a negative.

The End - I get a soft yet slimy onion with a little browning around the edges. The longer I cook, the more browned the edges get but this doesn't carry over to the centre.

The Question - What am I doing wrong. The overly long post above is my experience over time. As noted, I don't think I've given the cook justice and I'm wondering if it's just a lack of patience.

Thanks.
 
Here is what I do:

2 Tab. Butter
2 Tab. Olive Oil
3 Large Onions thinly sliced
1 Tab. Rosemary (optional)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Melt Butter & Oil over high heat, add onions and cook on high for 10 minutes.

Add Rosemary, Sugar and Salt. Reduce to Medium and cook for 20 minutes until they are dark brown, I cover them during this and just hold down the cover and shake the pan to stir them.
 
I usually caramelize 10lbs. at a time (bag from Costco), I peels, halve and slice, 2 Tbs. of olive/vegetable oil in a percelain pot (Le Creuset) put them in a 425 oven covered for 1/2 hour and then uncover. Stire every 1 hr or so for about 3 hours and then portion and freeze. Needless to say you can get them as dark as you want. I don't use Vidalia's because they're sweet to start with. I use regular old yellow onions and the caramelizatio makes them incredibly sweet. Good luck.
 
Thanks Guys.

Brian - Appreciate the response. Can you give me the sugar amount?

Jon - You're way too ahead of me at 10lbs since I'm only doing a single one but I like the oven aspect. I never considered that.

Don - That's a great article. I feel exactly like the writer. I'm reading 10 minutes on one side vs. an hour on the other. Guess I'll find out today.
 
James slice your onions thinner, don't turn them much - say every minute or so, and use medium low to avoid burning. At the biginning of my learning curve, I added more fat during but somehow that doesn't seem to be case any more. Ten minutes for a half to whole onion seems to work for me. I use a stainless steel fry pan on a glass top range. HTH
 
1/2 Tablespoon or so.

I have done this with Vadalias and they come out very sweet (like candy) or yellow onions caramelize well.
 
Skip the Vidalia, Texas Sweets, et al. Though one can eventually caramelize them they are not really onions for cooking - they contain too much water, which is what makes them so mild.

Sugar is not necessary, though you can use it. Onions contain plenty. Get rid of the water and caramelization can occur. Salt facilitates this. Sugar is added later. Add a little salt at the get-go. The temps can be on the high side (I run medium-high) till the onions give up much of their moisture (covering the pan/pot will force this to occur sooner) and it starts to evaporate. Stir occasionally. Once the onions have given up a lot of moisture and are translucent uncover the pot. Sugar, if desired, can be added at this point, figuring 1/2 tsp per 5-6 pounds, tops. Reduce the heat to medium and keep uncovered. Stir somewhat frequently for even color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot when you stir.

Butter only (I far prefer unsalted butter) or a 2:1 butter-to-oil mix will give you better, more flavorful results than oil only.

Caramelization takes time. For 5-6 pounds I figure about 30 minutes at the covered, giving-up-moisture stage, 30 minutes in the uncovered, caramelization stage.
 
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