The Best Way To Freeze Green Onions For Long-Lasting Freshness

Sometimes called green onions and other times scallions, this popular vegetable makes for an intensely flavorful addition to any dish. Most cultures are in on the secret about the endless ways to spruce up a meal with this ingredient. Green onions are central to many recipes such as nut-crusted halibut with green onion sauce or grilled scallions with tasty romesco sauce and they usually contribute a tasty garnish to many dishes. Freezing green onions is helpful if you're big on bulk-buying to save cash or to satisfy your cravings. As with most vegetable options, freezing your green onions is helpful for preventing food waste and ensuring that your meal prep runs as smoothly as possible.

To freeze green onions, begin by washing them in cool water and trimming away the roots and undesirable parts. Next, patting the green onions with paper towels will ensure that they are completely dry. This step is important to prevent ice crystal formation or any moisture from affecting the texture and freshness of the green onions. You can then slice your green onions to your desired shape and thickness or simply leave them whole.

To prevent the chopped green onions from freezing in one large lump, it is also a good idea to flash freeze them beforehand. To achieve this, lay out the sliced green onions on parchment or baking paper for roughly an hour. Once this is done, you can transfer the sliced onions into a freezer bag or air-tight container and leave them in the freezer.

Sometimes nothing beats having a personal stash of green onions to sprinkle and stir into dishes. The trick is knowing when you'd need to refrigerate your green onions or freeze them. In most cases, the answer comes down to when and how you plan to use them in a recipe. Generally, stick to refrigerating green onions when your recipe will benefit from fresh green onions. If you plan to use them up throughout the week, freezing will be the best option. For the best meal prep results, it's always best to freeze your green onions as soon as you bring them home from the store or the market.

When you're ready to whip out the frozen green onions, you may want to thaw them out first. The easiest and most effective way to achieve this is by placing them in the refrigerator. Keep them in the refrigerator for a few hours (or even overnight) before you cook with them. Keep in mind that thawing them in the refrigerator is useful for maintaining the flavor but will leave them lacking in crispness once thawed. Alternatively, you could toss your frozen green onions into the mix if you're preparing a hot dish. This is a faster method if you're keen to work the easily warmed onions into your favorite Friday night stir-fry.