Getting bitterness out of red onion?

Peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then soak them in a bowl of ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring them once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe.

Soaking red onion in ice water tames the bite and mellows out the flavor. The sulfur compounds responsible for that biting sensation leach into the water from the cut surfaces.

For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar. This method also works for other onions and bitter melon.

Give it a try!!!

If the onion is cooked into it, bitterness should be gone. If the onion is chopped and just stirred in, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Next time buy a Texas 1015 or Vidalia to have a sweet onion flavor. You may try adding a teaspoon of sugar to the whole batch and see if that cuts it.

I've never tasted bitterness in an onion. Raw onions are spicy hot. Red onions are the mildest, milder than vidalia. I would chop them very thin and use less than the recipe calls for. You can soak them in the salad dressing overnight or at least a few hours to soften and dilute the heat. I don't recommend soaking them in milk before a picnic because that would make them vulnerable to spoilage.

I have the same problem with red onions, which is why I don't use them in salads. I like to use chopped green onion in salads, but you could use yellow or white. The last few times I've bought a red one it had a bitter taste. If you need color you can add a little chopped red pepper or pimento.

I don't know what salad you want to make...but here's how to do a great cucumber and onion and tomato salad and what to soak the onion in to marinate them>>>

Cucumber Salad...serves 10

Hints & Clues

Buy Hothouse cucumbers if you can find them, they are best for this salad, because they have more flesh and fewer seeds. They also seem to have a thinner, less waxy skin and tend to be a little crisper than your average cucumber.

Ingredients For Onion Marinade:

1 cup sugar

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup water

2 large red onions, sliced thin

1.Combine sugar, red wine vinegar, and water, in a bowl and mix to combine (do not use a metal bowl, as the vinegar my react with it).

2.Add onions and cover with plastic. Marinate overnight. Remove onions from liquid, and proceed to making salad.

To make the salad....

3 cucumbers, cut in half, seeds removed

1/4 cup of Olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup dill, picked

Salt and black pepper

Slice cucumbers in half moon shapes. In a large mixing bowl, combine cucumbers, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh dill, marinated red onions, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Leave for 30 minutes. This removes the strength of the onions and makes them more palatable and the dish more balanced.

Here's one approach:

Slice up your red onions (which I love raw or cooked!) and place them in a small pot. Cover all of the onions with boiling hot water for about 3-4 min. then drain. It should take the "sting" out of them but retain the flavors.

The most simplest way would be just to sprinkle a good pinch of salt over them (sliced). Don't wash it off though. That should cut down some of the acid.

cook it a bit or use vadallia onions (spelling?)