Why You Should Always Have Pearl Onions In Your Freezer
Pearl onions are a staple whether you are adding them to your favorite coq au vin recipe or grabbing a jar of the pickled variety for that Gibson you might drink while you cook dinner. And when it comes to the absolute best substitutes for shallots, pearl onions top the list. But, as MasterClass explains, peeling pearl onions can be a tedious and labor-intensive task: You have to remove the ends, then blanch and drain before you can peel your little pearl onions. Of course, the sweet and delicate taste they add to your food will have you feeling it was worth the task.
However, what if the process of prepping and using pearl onions could be made easier? There are a lot of convenience ingredients that line the shelves of your local grocery market. From shredded cheese to already hard-boiled eggs to pre-washed salads, there are plenty of options to help make cooking a little easier when you don't have a lot of time. And per Food & Wine, this really gets to the heart of why you want to keep frozen pearl onions in your freezer.
Frozen taste as good as fresh
Chef Chris Dickerson told Food & Wine that one of the benefits of using frozen pearl onions is you get to avoid that time-consuming peeling process. Dickerson said, "I love adding these to chicken pot pie, but I never want to peel them." However, if you are worried that you are sacrificing flavor when opting for frozen pearl onions, don't. Dickerson shared, "The flavor of frozen pearl onions is almost as good as fresh. If something's almost as good but much simpler, it's a no-brainer for me. Practicality should be a consideration when cooking."
I Really Like Food reveals that cooking with frozen pearl onions is also easy. In addition to not having to peel them, the site says they cook faster because there is a breakdown of the membrane during freezing. This is important to note as it might affect your cooking time.
If you are on the fence about using frozen over fresh, you might be interested in knowing even celebrity chef Sunny Anderson uses frozen pearl onions when she is making her chicken pot pie, per Food Network. Anderson lauds the frozen version, saying, "The work is kind of done for you."