Jamie Oliver shares onion hack which gets rid of 'sharp and bitter' taste

10 February 2024 , 16:01

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This onion hack is a game-changer (Stock Photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

You may have been prepping your onions wrong all this time.

Onions are the foundation of so many recipes, and without properly preparing this building block ingredient you might find that your cooking stays a little bit pedestrian. From pasta sauces to curries and soups, the humble onion doesn't get enough credit, because it is something you simply can't cook without. This easy cooking hack from TV chef Jamie Oliver will help elevate your recipes, tempering any bitterness present in the onions, and helping bring a sweetness to your dishes that will help enhance the flavours in all your meals.

First displayed in his Channel 4 show, Jamie Cooks Italy, the beloved TV chef explained that he learned this onion prep tip from Italian Nonna Rosanna which gives the onions a milder taste, and helps rid them of any sharp bitterness of which some people may not be a fan.

He explained in a post on his Instagram, "I'm using her trick of washing sliced onions to make them milder, and that moisture also helps to add extra sweetness as they cook!"

Washing onions like this can help get rid of bitterness because of an in-built defense system the humble root vegetables have that is designed to keep animals from munching on them in the wild, per the New York Times, which uses sulfuric compounds to make them unappealing in taste.

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The recipe that Oliver used to demonstrate the hack was a prawn and tuna linguine and he explained that to start with you should chop the onions finely, before soaking them in a bowl of water. If you're concerned that the onions may be too sweet with all of the onion's sharpness removed, then you can always add some white vinegar to offset it and provide a nice contrast, Oliver advises.

Commenters were quick to chime in on the post, with one noting that for some cultures, this was a well-known tip that most people are likely already using whenever they use onions in their cooking: "Dude! Japanese people have been washing onions in water for 20 years".

Another user noted in the comments that there was another way you can use water whilst preparing onions that might be of help who find themselves sensitive to them as they make some people's eyes water. "I peel a lot of onions, and they tear me up terribly. My solution is always to peel them in water. No more pain."

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Emma Mackenzie