Dehydrating green onions is the best way for long term storage, if you ask me. Since I am a hardcore homesteader, I know how challenging it can get to make the best use out of your fresh vegetables and fruits.
You wouldn’t want any of your crop to go to waste, especially after all the effort spent to grow such a crop. And since green onions and scallions can’t be canned, farm animals don’t really eat them, can’t be stored in the freezer, and don’t last for long in cold storage, they are the perfect candidate vegetables for dehydration!
Advantages of dehydrating green onions:
- Their delicious onion flavor is retained.
- Can be turned into powder or even flakes that is perfect as a spice.
- Their green color is retained.
- They can be used in many different ways when dehydrated.
- They have a much longer shelf life.
How to dehydrate green onions and scallions?
I am going to share with you the easy step-by-step guide to successfully dehydrate your green onions. You have two ways to successfully do so. I personally think both ways work exceptionally well. It really depends on your personal preference and on the availability of the equipment needed.
Using a dehydrator:
- Start preparing your onions by first washing your onions thoroughly and removing old welted leaves. Cut the roots and start slicing the onions into ½ inch slices. Make sure you have equal sized slices with a close thickness so that they all dehydrate to the same degree at the same time.
- Divide the green parts of the onion from the white portions, as usually the white part contains more moisture so will take longer to dry.
- Align the sliced green onions in a single layer away from each other on the dehydrator trays. The green slices separate from the white slices.
- Set the temperature of your dehydrator to 125 degrees F and place your dehydrator trays inside of it. It should take 5 to 6 hours for the onion slices to dehydrate. You can also set a lower temperature of 100 degrees F and place your onions for 7 to 9 hours. This helps your onions to retain their color and taste better.
- Once they are dehydrated. Allow them to cool to at least room temperature before storing them.
Using an oven:
- Start preparing your onions by first washing your onions thoroughly and removing old welted leaves. Cut the roots and start slicing the onions into ½ inch long. Make sure you have equal sized slices with a close thickness so that they all dehydrate to the same degree at the same time.
- Divide the green parts of the onion from the white part as usually the white part contains more moisture so will take longer to dry.
- Align the onion slices in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the green onion slices on a separate baking sheet than the white slices. Don’t overcrowd the tray with onion slices. Make sure there is enough space for air to circulate.
- Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 170 degrees F. The lower the temperature of the oven, the better the outcome will be. That’s why, you should adjust the oven to the lowest temperature. It should take about 3 to 5 hours for the onions to completely dry.
- Check the doneness of the onion slices every hour and give it a good stir to ensure even drying.
- Check the dryness of the onion slices by pressing on it, if it cracked, then it is good to go. No moisture should be released when you press it.
- Wait for the onions to dry to room temperature before you attempt to store it.
What are the best types of green onions for drying?
You can dry absolutely any type of onions you like. Red, yellow, white, scallions, storage onions, sweet onions. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the fresher and healthier the onions, the better the end result will be.
I prefer to dry sweet onions as they result into a delicious onion powder once they are dried and crushed.
How to Use Dehydrated Green Onions
- They can be added to soups and stews to add a subtle taste of green onions.
- Can be added with dehydrated mushrooms in casseroles.
- Add them to sandwiches or egg salads after rehydration.
- Grind them into powder and make dehydrated onion flakes that can be added as a salad dressing or as a garnish.
How to store dehydrated onions?
You have to first wait for your freshly dried green onion slices to cool to at least room temperature before you either, turn them into onion flakes or grind them into onion powder.
This is done by squishing the dried onion between two parchment papers to make onion flakes. Then, in a coffee blender, grind the flakes into a fine onion powder.
Once you have your processed dehydrated green onions, place them inside an airtight container, an airtight jar, or mason jars with a couple of oxygen absorber packs to make sure they are not exposed to any surrounding contaminants or moisture.
This helps keep their fresh taste intact. Keep in a cool dry place, like your pantry, for instance, as it has ideal storage conditions.
Frequently asked questions:
Here are a list of questions that I came across while I was doing extensive research on the topic, thought I would share them with you.
Can any type of dehydrators be used to dehydrate green onions?
Well, usually the cheap dehydrators like Presto dehydrator only have one fixed temperature, 165 degrees F. There is usually no other way to control the temperature of the dehydrator, which is quite high for the herbs or green onions to dehydrate.
However, you can overcome this issue by simply leaving the green onions for less time than any other dehydrator with a lower temperature.
Constantly check on your onions and whether they are done or not.
Do the green onion parts dry at different times?
Yes. As you may have noticed the green parts in onions tend to dry much quicker than the white parts. That’s why it is better to dry them separately from each other on separate trays. Each part will need different processing times according to processing time and thickness.
How much of the raw green onions is equivalent to dry green onions?
Because of the large amount of moisture lost during the drying process, you should expect a much less amount of dried green onions than fresh ones. ¼ cup of fresh green onion slices will result into about a tablespoon of dried onions and about 1.5-2 teaspoons of dried green onion flakes or powder. While a bunch of green onions will give you about half a pint of green onion flakes.
To sum up:
Dehydrating green onions is a simple and easy way to preserve them for a long period of time and make green onion powder that can go well as a spice in many dishes.
Hi, I’m Julie, the passionate foodie and founder of Juliesfamilykitchen.com. I created this blog out of a drive to prove someone wrong, and then I realized how much I truly enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. In my free time, when I’m not running around after my kids or spending quality time with my partner, you can usually find me in the kitchen experimenting with new dishes.