10 Fun Facts About Onions!
1. According to the National Onion Association, U.S. onion consumption has increased 50% in the last 20 years. Maybe it’s because we put sauteed onions on all sorts of things now?
2. Wild onions grow on nearly every continent. And, because onions are one of the few vegetables that can easily be stored for the winter many, their popularity across the world grew right along with them.
3. Onions have been around since the Bronze Age! The oldest know onion harvest dates back to around 5,000 BC, over 7,000 years ago!
4. The sulfuric compounds in onions cause is to cry when we chop them. To cut down on the crying, chill the onion and cut into the root end of the onion last. {Or maybe you have a better trick, if so, do tell!}
5. There are less than 1,000 onion farmers in the United States. That’s a pretty low number. Altogether, about 125,000 acres of onions are planted in the US each year.
6. The onion was worshiped by ancient Egyptians. They believed that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternity. They used to cover the tombs of their rulers with onion pictures and onions played a vital role in burial rituals. They believed that onions would help the dead succeed in the afterlife.
7. In an old English Rhyme, the thickness of an onion skin was thought to help predict the severity of the upcoming winter. Thin skins mean a mild winter is coming while thick skins indicate a rough winter ahead.
8. Eating parsley will help get rid of that pesky onion breath! Note to self.
9. Before it was known as the Big Apple, New York City was called the Big Onion because it was a place where you could peel off layer after layer without ever reaching the core.
10. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the largest onion ever grown as a whopping 10 pound, 14 ounce onion!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 267 kcal
How to Prepare This Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Onion Recipe ??
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large white onion
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 quart vegetable oil
- Chipotle, Thousand Island or other dipping sauce optional
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine flour, spices, salt and pepper. Reserve.
In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until combined. Set aside.
Cut off ½-inch from the pointy end of the onion while leaving the other end of root intact. Then remove the papery skin.
Place the onion cut-side down on a cutting board. Starting ¾-inch from the root, cut vertically downward all the way to the board using a sharp knife.
Repeat vertical cuts downward about 1/2-inch apart on the edge, taking care not to overlap with previous cuts. You should get 10-15 cuts in total.
Turn the onion over and gently open up the “petals” of the onion with your fingers until it resembles a flower. Set aside.
Dip the onion into reserved flour mixture to cover completely. Then gently shake off excess flour.
Gently dip into reserved egg mixture to cover completely. For best results, let the onion soak in the batter for 10 minutes.
Return onion to the flour mixture one more time and cover completely.
Place the onion on a plate and freeze for 30-60 min to set.
Fill a deep fryer or medium saucepan with 3 inches of oil and heat to 350°F. Line a plate with paper towel and set aside.
Fry onion for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Then turn it over using a slotted spoon and cook several minutes more until golden brown.
Remove onion to a prepared plate. Serve with optional dipping sauce and enjoy!
RECIPE TIPS
You’ll find it helpful to watch the video for this recipe before making it.
For the dipping sauce, you can mix Thousand Island dressing with creamy horseradish sauce, adjusting the amount of horseradish depending on how much heat you want.
