Video: Most People Don’t Know What You’re Supposed To Do With Each Type Of Onion. Do You?

When it comes to versatile vegetables, there may be no more important family than onions. They can be cooked, eaten raw, served on sandwiches or as the base for soups. There really are not a whole lot of recipes that do not call for some kind of onion or another.

We just found a funny video from Chef Buck that attempts to demystify the onion. It is a funny watch, but please, do not try this at home. He is a professional and you are not.

We thought we would give you some additional pointers on onions to help your kitchen be more productive and efficient. Check out what we found out.

You can keep garlic, shallots, and onions fresh and ready to use for up to two months just by taking a hole punch and making a number of holes in a paper bag. Put your onions in the bag and seal with a paper clip. Store them unrefrigerated in the pantry and they will last at least two months.

Cutting onions is hard business if you are just learning your way around a kitchen, but we just found a great video on youtube that will not only have you chopping onions like a pro, you’ll be prepping all kinds of fruits and veggies in no time. All you need is a stainless steel hair pick. Basically gently stick the hair pick through the onion and use as a guide for your knife. You will get nice, even cuts and be able to prep much faster this way than trying to chop onions freehand. This hair pick trick definitely improves your knife skills quickly, and that’s important in producing a culinary masterpiece. We wanted to share some other kitchen tips with you to get you cooking more like Chef Wolfgang Puck, and less like Chef Boyardee.

Surprisingly, we even found some uses for onion skins, which most people think of as pretty useless. Check these ideas out.

Try onion skins as a base for soup stocks. They will give a huge amount of flavor to the soup and give the broth an amazing brown color. While you are making your own stock, hold on to all your other veggie cutting and skins. Carrot peels and greens, and other less than desirable vegetable parts can make the most amazing soup stocks when boiled together.

While you are in the kitchen baking this autumn, try replacing about 5 percent of your flour with dried onion skin for deliciously savory bread recipes. The whole house will smell great and your breads will take on a whole new dimension in flavor.

And if you are particularly athletic and suffer from leg cramps from running or cycling, try this home remedy: Cook two handfuls of onion skins in water for 10-20 minutes at a low temperature. Strain the onion skins out of the liquid and drink one cup every day before going to sleep. Waking up from painful cramps will soon be a thing of the past.

Do you have any inventive ideas with onions? Please share them with us here.