Why you should never throw out your onion peels: How to turn onion scraps into delicious seasoning

By April Glover| 5 months ago

Sustainability in the kitchen is more important than ever before, particularly with the skyrocketing cost of produce and concerning shortages.

One vegetable which you can use every part of while cooking is, surprisingly, an onion.

Instead of throwing away your onion skins, British chef and zero-waste advocate Joe has encouraged home chefs to use it for a delicious seasoning.

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Joe, who posts on social media as @JoesGarden, says onion skins are packed full of vitamins A, C, E and numerous antioxidants.

"Onion skins are normally just thrown away, which is a real shame, because you can easily make a delicious seasoning," he explained.

Sharing a step-by-step method for the seasoning, Joe said to soak the peels for 10 minutes and dry them with a tea towel before crisping them up in the oven.

Then, you can crush them in a pestle and mortar or blend them into a fine powder.

"This homemade onion powder works perfectly as a seasoning sprinkled on top or added to water as a broth," Joe said.

He popped the crushed onion skins into a small jar used for herbs and spices, however you can also use an empty salt shaker.

The onion skin seasoning should have a similar taste to onion powder, which is made by crushing dehydrated onions into flakes. You can sprinkle it on food such as roasted potatoes to elevate the taste.

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"It is worth noting I'm using fresh organic home grown onions which I know have no chemicals or pesticides on them," Jose wrote in an Instagram caption.

"I always recommended on this channel to grow your own produce but if you can't make sure to check your produce before using the skins for this recipe. I will always discard any mouldy or discoloured skins (composting is also a great way to reuse onion skins)."

Joe's loyal foodie followers were impressed with the onion peel hack, with some revealing their own secret recipe for onion powder.

"I do this all the time in my restaurant but I add salt to the blender and then to the oven with olive oil so I get smoked onion salt. It's mind blowing," one commenter said.

"I add them to my broth, it gives it such a beautiful, rich colour!" another wrote.

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Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson is also fond of using onion peels in recipes.

In 2019, Lawson shared her trick to making onion stock with her Twitter followers. "I always make stock without peeling the onions," she said.

Lawson was responding to a viral tweet which advised aspiring chefs to never waste the peel of an onion.

"The papery golden skin of ONIONS should not be thrown away," the original tweet said.

"They are good natural colouring for soups and stews. Both should always be made golden and delectable by cooking the skins in it."

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