According to a recent report, America consumes more than 18 pounds of onions per person each year. To put that into perspective, the average onion weighs about 8 ounces. That means each person eats about 36 onions annually. Of course, that’s not a bad thing. Onions are amazing. They add incredible flavor to all types of foods from soups and casseroles to pastas and salads.
On top of that, onions are fantastic sources of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, antioxidants, and many other nutrients. They offer a long list of health benefits as well. They can reduce cholesterol levels, prevent cellular damage, regulate blood sugar, help keep bones strong, maintain respiratory health, and improve immunity to name a few. Besides that, a whole onion adds less than 50 calories to an entire dish. Considering all those powerful incentives, why wouldn’t you add diced onions to your kitchen arsenal?
Why Choose Ready-to-Use Diced Onions?
Many chefs are reluctant to use pre-packaged ingredients. They feel they lack the flavor and nutritional value of their fresh counterparts. They’ve also discovered that freezing and processing vegetables can alter their texture. That’s certainly true in some cases, but when you buy the right ones, you don’t have to worry about those problems. There are plenty of other reasons to take advantage of ready-to-use diced onions too.
Saving Time
Cutting down your meal prep time is one of the best reasons to keep ready-to-use onions on hand. Peeling and chopping onions takes time and effort. If the pieces stick together after you dice them, separating them takes even longer. You could spend half an hour or more prepping before you even actually start cooking. Why not eliminate all that time and energy with a convenient alternative with just as much flavor and nutritional value as onions you chop yourself?
No More Tears
It’s a well-known fact that chopping onions can make your eyes water and your nose burn. Bless your heart if you inadvertently rub your eyes or scratch your nose with onion residue on your hands. Anyone who has ever chopped an onion knows the pain that comes from a mistake like that. There are ways to reduce the impact of onion fumes from donning goggles to putting toothpicks in your mouth while chopping. Some of them may help, but pre-chopped, ready-to-use onions can eliminate the effects altogether.
Easier Measurement
Ready-to-use onions are also easier to measure. If a recipe calls for a quarter of a cup of chopped onion, all you have to do is dip or squeeze out the right amount. What about those notoriously ambiguous recipes that call for a small onion or half of a large onion? Small onions weigh about 6 ounces. Medium ones weigh about 8 ounces, and large ones weigh 16 ounces on average. You can simply measure out an equivalent amount for your recipes instead of trying to decide which category your onions fall into and adjusting accordingly.
Making Mealtime Easier
Few savory dishes wouldn’t benefit from a bit of onion whether the recipe calls for it or not. After all, onions have incredible flavor and health benefits. Still, chopping them takes time and irritates your eyes and nose. There can be a certain amount of guesswork involved in the process as well. Ready-to-use diced onions take those hassles out of the picture without forcing you to sacrifice flavor and nutrition.
