Step-by-step recommendations: how to dry green onions for the winter at home

Green onions are delicious both fresh and dried. Drying in an oven, microwave, airfryer, electric dryer or outdoors is the best way to prepare greens for the winter and preservation useful substances.

Dried green onions are an excellent addition to dishes from vegetables, meat, fish, cereals in the winter season. Spicy herbs have a pleasant taste and have a beneficial effect on the body with regular use. In this article, we will show you how to dry green onions at home while maintaining maximum benefits, vitamin and mineral composition.

The benefits of dried green onions

Dried onions have a range of useful properties. Green feathers are rich in phytoncides, pectins and glycosides.

Reference. Essential oils are endowed with special value. To obtain them, the method of steam distillation is used. The product is used to flavor semi-finished products, industrial sauces and seasonings.

Esters are valued for their effectiveness in the treatment of viral diseases, bronchitis, and lung infections. They liquefy and remove phlegm, eliminate bile stagnation and normalize the condition with pathologies of the genitourinary system. Essential onion oils are used to prevent atherosclerosis and stimulate appetite.

Dried onions normalize the digestive function by stimulating the secretion of gastric juice. Phytoncides destroy bacteria and have an anthelmintic effect. Potassium and sodium are responsible for the regulation of water-salt metabolism.

Vitamins A and E maintain visual acuity, beauty of skin and hair, stimulate the production of immune cells, protect healthy cells from the negative effects of free radicals, and reduce oxidative processes in the body.

100 g of green onions contains 166.9 μg of vitamin K, while the norm for humans is 120 μg. This substance is responsible for normal blood clotting, prevents the development of osteoporosis and calcification (the accumulation of calcium around the vessels), and reduces the likelihood of developing liver and breast cancer.

B vitamins normalize the transmission of nerve impulses, reduce stress, regulate protein synthesis and fat breakdown, speed up metabolism, and heal the central nervous system.

Sulfur is responsible for blood clotting and collagen production: with frequent use of green onions, skin, hair and nails look strong, healthy and shiny. The trace element inhibits the aging of the body, reduces allergic reactions.

Zinc helps assimilate vitamins A and E, supports immunity, eyesight, reproductive health, and the beauty of skin and hair.

Vitamin and mineral composition

The table shows the chemical composition of green onions (per 100 g).

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Nutritional value of the product (per 100 g):

• calorie content - 218.5 kcal;
• proteins - 8.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 42.6 g;
• fats - 2.8 g.

Drying methods for green feather

A green feather dries just like any other green. The prepared raw materials are subjected to dehydration in an oven, microwave oven, electric dryer, airfryer. In the absence of such household appliances, greens are dried in the open air.

Rules for the selection and preparation of raw materials:

1. For drying, use a green feather without a white part.
2. Rotten, dry, damaged areas cut off.
3. The feather is washed with running water and left in a colander to drain off excess liquid, then dried on a waffle towel, otherwise the greens will begin to mold and rot during the drying process.
4. Cut the prepared onion into pieces no more than 1 cm, spread it in an even thin layer on parchment and dry using any of the methods.

In the oven

The oven is heated to a temperature of + 30 ... + 50 ° С. Spread the chopped onion in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and send dry... The door is kept slightly ajar to allow moisture to evaporate. To prevent it from closing, insert a matchbox into the gap.

Attention! At an elevated temperature, the raw material will burn or dry out, at a low temperature it will retain moisture and deteriorate further storage.

Drying time is 2-3 hours. Dry onions are left in the turned off oven until they cool completely and only then are they poured into a container.

In the microwave

A microwave oven is a versatile kitchen unit. In it you can not only warm up soup and boil eggs, but also dry greens.

The prepared green feather is laid out in a thin layer between two paper napkins. Set the power to 800 W and dry for 3-4 minutes. It is advisable to check the raw materials every 30 seconds. Once the pieces are dry and brittle, you can complete the process.

Council. Adjust the drying time depending on the power of the microwave - increase or decrease by 1-1.5 minutes.

In an electric dryer

An electric dryer is a useful household appliance. Any greens, vegetables, fruits and berries are dried in it. Depending on the configuration, the dryer has 5-7 round or square pallets and several drying modes.

The dryer works without the intervention of the hostess, it is enough to spread the prepared raw materials in a thin layer on pallets and set the desired mode. Optimal temperature drying + 55 ... + 60 ° С. The time depends on the power of the unit. It often takes 2-2.5 hours to complete.

In the airfryer

In the airfryer, not only baked goods, dishes from meat, fish and vegetables are prepared, but also greens are prepared for the winter. The procedure is the same as for the electric dryer. Put the chopped green feather on a baking sheet covered with parchment, put on the highest wire rack, set the highest blowing speed, temperature up to + 70 ° C and dry the greens for 30 minutes.

Outdoors

This is one of the best ways to harvest spring onions for the winter, although it takes longer. Drying in the open air preserves the vitamins, minerals and flavor of the raw materials.

A baking sheet or a large wooden board is covered with parchment paper, a layer of greenery is laid out on it no more than 1 cm high and placed in a shaded place with good ventilation. The raw materials should not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise it will turn yellow and lose most of the nutrients. The onion is periodically mixed with a wooden spatula, without crushing or compacting it.

Determination of readiness of raw materials and rules for its storage

Properly dried green onions are fragile to the touch, crumble easily, but do not crumble into dust.

Dried raw materials are stored in glass containers closed with a tight lid. The product is tamped tightly and kneaded slightly for a brighter flavor. From 3 kg of green feathers, 350 g of dried blank is obtained.

Banks are placed in a dry and dark place. In such conditions, onions are stored for about a year.

Cooking applications

Fresh and dry green onions differ in their culinary properties: fresh greens have a sharper and more tart taste, dried ones are aromatic and give delicate flavor notes to the dish.

Dried green feathers are used in almost any savory dish. It is added to soups, meat gravies and vegetable stews 3-5 minutes before cooking, put in fillings for dumplings with potatoes, closed and open pies.

Dried greens are used in two forms: put dried feathers or pre-grind them into powder.

A pinch of greens is added to fresh vegetable salads to add a pleasant aroma and special zest in the cold season.

If you add a little dried onion to the bread dough, the kitchen will have a mind-blowing aroma while baking.

Conclusion

Drying green onions is one of the best ways to harvest these greens for the winter. For this purpose, use an oven, microwave, airfryer, electric dryer or dry in the open air. Any of the methods preserves up to 80% of nutrients in onions.

This seasoning will become a fragrant addition to vegetable, meat, fish dishes. It enhances the taste and aroma of soups, borscht and broths. In baked goods, the green dried feather opens completely. Homemade yeast bread or sourdough bread is especially tasty with this seasoning. Ground dried greens smell much more intense, just add a pinch to the dish.