With this instructional, photographic guide, you will learn how to peel pearl onions, and be daunted by this task no more. They are so delicious when freshly peeled and can be added to all kinds of recipes.
There are a few varieties of pearl onions: white, yellow-gold, and red. Their flavors differ slightly, with white being the most pungent, and red being the most mild.
If you don't know how to properly peel pearl onions, it can be incredibly frustrating. Their tiny size can make it difficult and take a very long time.
Unlike regular onions (full-sized onions), pearl onions are almost always kept whole for recipes, so peeling them is quite different, and involves a very quick cooking process.
The process of peeling the onions is so quick and easy, that I highly recommend doing it yourself instead of purchasing pre-peeled pearl onions.
Once you learn the below technique, you'll never hesitate to use these beautiful onions.
The process of peeling the onions is so quick and easy, that I highly recommend doing it yourself instead of purchasing pre-peeled pearl onions.
How to Peel Pearl Onions in 4 Easy Steps
Step1: Blanch the onions. Fill a pot about ⅔ the way with water -- you want just enough water to cover the onions, but not so much that it'll overflow when you add them. Bring the water to a boil, add the onions, and let them simmer for 2 minutes, no more. (This is a very brief amount of time, so no flavor will be lost.)
Step 2: Drain the onions in a colander, and then shock them in a bowl of ice water (this is called an ice bath).
Step 3. Drain the onions again, and then dry them with a clean kitchen towel, and slice off just a bit of the root ends.
Step 4: Gently pinch the stem end of the onion (top end), and the outer skin should slide right off.
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Uses for Pearl Onions
Pearl onions are fantastic braised, sautéed, roasted, pickled and glazed. I love them in stews and soups, with meats and/or vegetables.
Can you Peel Pearl Onions Ahead of Time?
You can peel the onions up to a few days ahead of when you want to use them. They should be kept in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Recipes With Pearl Onions
Enjoy!
How to Peel Pearl Onions
Ingredients
- 1 pound pearl onions any color
- water
Instructions
- Prepare a medium-sized bowl with ice water and set it aside.
- Blanch the onions. Fill a pot about ⅔ the way with water -- you want just enough water to cover the onions, but not so much that it'll overflow when you add them. Bring the water to a boil, add the onions, and let them simmer for 2 minutes, no more.
- Drain and shock in ice bath. Drain the onions in a colander, and then add them to the bowl with ice water and let them sit just long enough to cool off a bit, about 2 minutes. Drain the onions again, pour them onto a kitchen towel and gently pat them dry.
- Use a paring knife to cut the root off the bottom of each onion.Then gently pinch the top end and the skin should slide right off.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Lana
Valentina, thanks for the tutorial! I dread when I have to make a recipe using the pearl onions! I will definitely adhere to your advice from here on! XOXO
Christina
How simply marvelous! Love this idea!
Marissa
This is genius, Valentina. I had no idea!! This trick will come in handy for holiday cooking!
valentina
Thanks, Marissa! It's a life saver if you love pearl onions. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Love this post, Valentina! Peeling those pearl onions can sometimes be a pain, but so necessary in some dishes because they're delish! I use them a lot, especially in the cooler months with comfort food dishes. Love all the instructions and pinning for sure! Hope you have a lovely weekend ahead, my friend 🙂
valentina
Thanks, Dawn. Yes, so delish in comfort food dishes. Here's to many of them this winter. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kelly | Foodtasia
Valentina, this post really did excite me! What a time saver! It always takes me forever to peel them, and I like fresh so much better than the pre-peeled ones in the store. They look amazing braised with the chestnuts! Yum!
valentina
Yay! So happy you found this exciting -- at least in the food world. 😉 It is a huge time savor. Thanks so much, Kelly. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
Oh my goodness! This makes it look so easy. I have actually avoided using pearl onions because I felt like I lost most of the onion trying to peel them. I never thought about blanching them. I can't wait to give this a try!
valentina
When I started doing it this way, I started using pearl onions so much more. Thanks so much for checking out this method. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
So that's how you peel pearl onions!! Several years ago, I made a soup and really wanted pearl onions in it. So I stood there peeling them for like an hour. Silly me. Thanks so much for sharing this, Valentina!
valentina
I used to do the same. It's life changing. In terms of cooking. 😉 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
Thanks, Valentina. The first time I came across a recipe that used pearl onions was a stew in a Julia Child cookbook, and I had the hardest time finding them! Your peeling method couldn't be easier!