Processed Onion

part of: Onion

Frozen chopped onions are a time-saving convenience product that eliminates the peeling, chopping, and tears associated with preparing fresh onions. They can be added directly to pans, soups, stews, and casseroles from frozen, making them a practical staple for busy kitchens.

While fresh onions offer a crisper texture and sharper bite, frozen chopped onions perform well in any cooked application where the onion will soften — which covers the vast majority of savoury recipes. They are particularly useful for slow cooker dishes, bolognese, curries, and stir-fries where a base of softened onion is the starting point.

Available in most Australian supermarket freezer sections, frozen onions come in diced or sliced forms. They have a long freezer life, reduce food waste compared to fresh onions that may sprout or soften before use, and are generally very affordable.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Fresh onions are mechanically peeled and chopped into uniform dice or slices. The pieces are blanched briefly to preserve colour and flavour, then individually quick-frozen (IQF) so that they remain loose and free-flowing rather than clumping into a solid block. The frozen onion pieces are packed into bags and stored at sub-zero temperatures. This process locks in the onion’s flavour and aroma at the point of processing, ensuring consistent quality whenever the bag is opened.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 29kcal
Protein 0.8g
Carbs 5g
Fat 0.1g
Fibre 1.8g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

0.33 package (10 oz) is about 95 g — roughly 30 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.66kg
Freshwater ≈15.66L
Land ≈0.54

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from

In the kitchen

Used as

aromatic cooking base

Goes well with
Classic dishes
  • Bolognese
  • Soup
  • Stew
  • Stir-fry

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

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