Why would be by onion powder from the store when you make it at home. Homemade onion powder is much better than package one. Once you make onion powder at home, you will never buy the packaged onion powder from the grocery store.
Also, you don’t have to do much to make onion powder. You can do it effortlessly at home, and, plus, it has a better flavor. Usually, it is used for seasoning various dishes. You will not regret having a jar of onion powder in your kitchen cabinet, and you can use it in many dishes to add flavor.
How To Make Onion Powder?
Making onion powder is not a difficult task. You need just one ingredient i.e, onion to make onion powder. And there is no compulsion on the kind of onion you need to use. You can either use red or white onion.
Also, you can use as many onions as you want. You can decide the quantity of onion for onion powder depending upon how much you use in a week or day.
The first step is to make fine pieces of onion. Before that, you need to peel the onions. If your knife skill is good, you can make the finest pieces of onion. Onion can make you cry, but don’t neglect this step. It’s an important step.
However, if you are not good with a knife, you can use a grater. Even if you are great with a knife, you can use a grater. Grater makes the finest pieces of onion, making it easy to drain onion juice. If you chop the onion with a knife, you won’t be able to get as much onion juice as possible.
Draining Onion Juice
After you have grated onions, you have to drain to get onion juice. To drain the juice out of the onion, you need a mesh strainer. Put all the grated onion in the mesh strainer, then gently press the onion using a spatula to drain the onion juice in the bowl.
When the onion is completely dry, transfer it to the bowl. And don’t throw the onion juice, you can use it in any food in which you want to add onion flavor. You can also use a few drops of onion juice in soup or drizzle onion juice on potatoes.
Dry Grated Onion
After draining onion juice from the water, you are left with dry onion pieces. Now, it’s time to dry the onion pieces. There are two ways to dry them, you can either sun-dry onion or dry them in the oven.
To sun-dry onion, spread the grated onion on the plate and put it under the sun. You need to put them under the sun until they turn hard. You may have to allow them to dry under the sun for a day or two days. This process may take more than two days, just ensure that onions are hard and dry.
If you want to make the process quicker, you can use the oven. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, lay down the parchment paper. Spread the grated onion on the baking sheet. Bake it until it is completely dry. You may have to bake it for about 5 hours.
Drying time varies. If you chopped the onion, then drying time increases. You will know the onion pieces are completely dry if they crumble in your hands.
Grinding Onion
Allow the onion to cool before you grind them. Put dried onion pieces in the food processor the get fine powder. Grind them until you get a fine powder. You can also use mortar or pestle. But be sure whichever machine you use, clean it thoroughly.
Store Onion Powder
Store it in the airtight jar. Ensure that you close the lid properly after every use and store the onion powder jar in a cool place. And put a few grains of uncooked rice in the jar of onion powder to remove excess moisture from it. Correctly storing it can last for several months.
Using onion powder while cooking food has many health benefits. Some are mentioned below.
Benefits Of Onion Powder
Cure Cough And Cold
In a glass of lukewarm water, add a spoonful of onion powder, a few drops of honey, and half a teaspoon of pepper. Drink this water once or twice a day to treat cough and cold.
Treat Infection
Onions are rich in anti-bacterial, anti-septic, and antimicrobial properties, so using any vegetable can help you stay healthy. In addition, these components in the onion boost the immunity system.
Enhance Bone Health
Onions are an excellent source of calcium. And consuming onions can significantly help in promoting bone health. Also, antioxidant properties in bone prevent bone from free radical damage.
Promote Digestion
Onion helps minimize bloating, flatulence, and abdominal distension as it reduces gas formation in the alimentary canal.
If you want to learn about the benefits of cumin seeds, click the link.