ISO subsitute for onions

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apple

Assistant Cook
Joined
May 27, 2006
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19
i know it s weird but i have a big food sensitivity to onions, cant injest them or i get very ill.
whats a good subsitute for this, like how much onion powder ect is the right quantity to use when it says one whole onion ect.

or another type of spice/herb that would make a good subsitute.

this goes for green onions and shallots as well :wacko:
 
Onion powder jars will usually tell you how many teaspoons (or whatever) is equal to in fresh onion.

For Penzye's brand of onion powder, a teaspoon is equal to a half cup of chopped fersh onion.

However, onion powder is dehyrdated onion. Won't that make you ill as well?
 
nope, garlic is all good.

i find the fresher the onion the worse it is...
 
How about dehydrated minced onion? You can use it that way or you can rehydrate them. I'm thinking even if rehydrated and they go back to being regular minced onion, they might be somewhat mellower? And you can use that in anything.
 
Shallots would make a milder, but adequate, substitution, if you can handle them.
 
My deepest sympathies for you, Apple-------you'd starve at my house or live on bread & desserts. Can they not give allergy shots for that? Probably not....hope that you find an agreeable substitute.
 
Chives impart a very mild onion flavour. It is also possible in quite a few recipes to just leave it out but if you do, add some extra flavour of some description as onion is a good flavour enhancer. Several years ago, before I knew the best way to prep an onion without ruining your makeup, I often just left onion out of a recipe but I did up the garlic, other herbs and/or seasoning. Leeks, as mentioned, are also a brilliant alternative.

The other query is if you are able to tolerate onion powder, is it possible that you are able to use a normal onion but prepared differently to the way you use it? Could you perhaps, and this may sound odd, juice an onion and use that as the flavouring? Or use the top (green) part of spring onions, which don't have the developed bulb. Not sure if they are marketed by the same name in the UK. Over here, we can't agree between the states to use the same name! Are they perhaps scallions over there?
 
i know it s weird but i have a big food sensitivity to onions, cant injest them or i get very ill.

My wife is the same way. If either of us makes a dish where onions are an important factor, we always cut the onions in large pieces. That way, the onions can flavor the dish, and the onion chunks are large enough that she can find them and remove them from her plate before eating.
 
There is not one overall general answer to your question. It would all depend on what the recipe is that you are making at the time. Sometime onion powder will work and other times it won't. Sometimes you can leave the onions out completely and other times that would not work at all. Knowing what you are trying to cook is the only way to give you an accurate answer.
 
There is not one overall general answer to your question. It would all depend on what the recipe is that you are making at the time. Sometime onion powder will work and other times it won't. Sometimes you can leave the onions out completely and other times that would not work at all. Knowing what you are trying to cook is the only way to give you an accurate answer.
Very true GB. Couldn't imagine French Onion Soup with a substitution involved!
 
My father can't tolerate onions since he's had his gallbladder removed. He comes to visit every summer for a week, and since we cook everything with onions that's a rough week for us!! I use chopped chives, it's not as oniony, if it bothers him he doesn't complain.
 
Many people have a sensitivity to onions.If you can eat members of the onion family,you are probably not allergic to the onions themselves. Have you ever tried grating them on the small holes of a cheese grater, or making them into a puree before cooking or using them raw? This breaks down the fibers that are probably bothering you.
 
i know it s weird but i have a big food sensitivity to onions, cant injest them or i get very ill.
whats a good subsitute for this, like how much onion powder ect is the right quantity to use when it says one whole onion ect.

or another type of spice/herb that would make a good subsitute.

this goes for green onions and shallots as well :wacko:

If it makes you feel better, you're not the only one :) My aunt has Crohn's disease (chronic inflammatory bowel disease) and onions cause a flareup of symptoms for her. I have Crohn's, too, but onions don't bother me. However, I can't eat steak :( But ground beef is no problem. Different foods affect everyone differently.
 
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