Bitter/Sharp Onions?

[BRISTOL86]

Hi folks

I made something a while back that called for onion to be blitzed into a paste in the food processor for the base of a sauce. The finished dish had a very unpleasant bitter/sharp taste to it. Put it down to a one off thing...

Now I've just grated some onion to make something, and the raw onion has the same bitterness/sharpness to it. I've used the same onions for other stuff this week when it's been chopped and it's not had this unpleasant bitter twinge.

Is there something about grating onion that does this? From experience of the last time, it doesn't lessen from cooking so tempted to start again with finely chopped onion rather than grated as I don't want another ruined dish!

[ambuletz]

slice them up and soak them in a bowl of water for afew minutes. it can mellow out onions (particularly red ones) most noticable when they're used in a salad.

[mrsshpub]

It sounds to me as if the onion puree simply wasn't cooked long enough — but some of the major supermarkets are now selling sweet onions, so they might be worth trying next time.

[rsbmw]

There is science behind this, I can't remember the details but ripping them up as happens in a processor/grater situation, or even chopping with a blunt knife, releases some sort of chemical.

There, you've had your lesson for today, hope you've learned something.

Eta: this is an interesting read on the subject, and probably where I read the above http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/top...

Edited by rsbmw on Sunday 10th July 17:51

[Vaud]

Chop finely, cook and then puree if needed.

[21TonyK]

[quote=rsbmw]There is science behind this...[quote]

Cut with the grain for browning, across for sweating. Rings vs. julienne. All down to moisture release and acetic acid.

As to the OP, needed more cooking.

[BRISTOL86]

Thanks guys