Capture the Goodness of Spring Onions Year-Round
I welcome back guest blogger Dana Davis this week for a lesson on drying spring onions.
Earlier this year Dana shared with us her recipe for homemade applesauce, which was a big hit!
Since I love the flavor spring onions add to many dishes I know I’ll be trying this out myself! 
As we enter into the spring season, you’ll notice the addition of seasonal fruits and vegetables in the supermarket.
First asparagus, then spring onions and on to peas, rhubarb, radishes and strawberries.
I always feel so reinvigorated by these produce items.
They are a true mark of spring–just like the site of the first robin in the yard!
If you are like me and wish to capture the essence of seasonal fruits and vegetables all year, you may want to consider drying (or dehydrating) them when they are in season and at their peak of flavor and freshness.
My son loves to snack on dried strawberries.
And whenever I need onions for a recipe, I just reach for my jar of dried onions.
I simply reconstitute them in water or chicken stock and then use as I would fresh onions.
Above are jars of dried green beans and carrots that I have on hand.
To dry the fresh fruits and vegetables I purchase in the supermarket, I still use my parents’ food dehydrator circa 1980. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven set below 200 degrees as well.
I highly recommend a food dehydrator.
Not only can you dry fruits and vegetables, but you can also make jerky and even yogurt!
On the plate above you can see what the fresh spring onions look like in the upper left hand corner as compared to the dried onions on the right and the reconstituted onions on the bottom.
Here’s how you too can dehydrate spring onions as well as most other fruits and vegetables:
- Wash and dry produce
- On a chopping board, slice 1/4" to 1/2" thickness
- Place in a single layer on food dehydrator racks
- Dry in dehydrator for the recommended period of time noted on your particular model’s instructions
- When completely dry, allow them to cool before placing in an airtight container to store until needed
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