Lou McLeod: How to Dehydrate Green Onions / Scallions

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How to Dehydrate Green Onions / Scallions

Dehydrate green onions ... seem like a bore? Make them go even further with this great dehydrating hack from Momwithaprep.com

Green onions (or scallions) may seem one of those foods that doesn’t seem worth dehydrating….but think again! You can do something amazing with them to make them more versatile in your PREPared kitchen!

Are they Scallions or Green Onions

I grew up always thinking that green onions and scallions were different things. I actually mistook scallions for being similar to chives and green onions just being baby onions. Turns out, they’re actually the same thing. They are immature onions that haven’t been allowed to ‘bulb’ or are from varieties that don’t create bulbs.

Many of you might be saying….why bother? Dehydrating seems like a huge, labor-intensive process for something so small and simple. They are easy to regrow (just like chives, with proper care, you can just snip the green tops off to use for garnishing or included in dishes from all over the world!) or are so inexpensive from the grocery store you can just go buy another batch. And then, if you have a large harvest or buy too many, you can just toss them in the compost pile.

Green onions (or scallions) may seem one of those foods that doesn't seem worth dehydrating....but think again! You can do something amazing with them to make them more versatile in your PREPared kitchen!

If we were to use the samples provided to us by the bottles on the grocer’s shelves (which are more than likely dehydrated chives than green onions, but you get the point), the gray brittle bits of somewhat onion-y flavored material are hardly appetizing enough to want to try dehdyrating my own.

But for me, it isn’t about ease of ability to dehydrate or the ready availability at the store or in the garden — but about the process of preserving what we grow and use, and finding new ways to use it. Then, they become so easy to use in those months when you can’t grow a thing! Throwing them into a sauce or stew at the very last minute allows them enough time to rehydrate a little and bring a brightness of flavor without the intensity of an onion.

How to Dehydrate Green Onions/Scallions

Cut off root ends. I’m showing you that they are cut for regular dehydrating, but with the fun thing we’re going to do with these after, I actually leave the roots on.

2. Wash and pick through to remove discolored or damaged pieces. Be sure to check with the lower stems for debris. If you’re getting these from the grocery store, it’s not likely to have much, but if you’ve grown them yourself or getting them from a local source, you might have some visitors!

Chop into small, relatively uniform pieces. I keep the whites and greens separated. Here’s why: keeping them separated in the dehydrating process allows me to use them differently after they’ve been dried. The white root ends take on a sweet flavor, but still have a strong onion-y taste, though milder than a regular onion by far. The green stem ends are much milder in flavor and serve me better for bringing brightness to things and tossing into a salad, etc.

Separate white rings. This is a step I failed to photograph. Those white roote ends are like regular onions in that they are layers and layers of material. It helps to separate them out a bit to help the drying process go by a little faster. However, they will dry even if you don’t do this step.

Place on dehydrator trays and dry for 4-5 hrs at 95F.*

Here is the dehydrator I use.

*Now, charts and books will tell you between 125-135F for drying. I tend to dry a little lower for things to help maintain their nutritional value. It might take just a few minutes longer to dry, but I feel like I’m doing better to keep the nutrion to take that extra bit of time.
Green onions (or scallions) may seem one of those foods that doesn't seem worth dehydrating....but think again! You can do something amazing with them to make them more versatile in your PREPared kitchen!

Take it one step further…

You all know how I love making dehydrated vegetable powders or green vegetable powders with my dehydrated produce. Now…

I use a Ninja blender, but any blender will do.

I take the white dehydrated pieces and grind them in my blender (and yes, you can add both, but I save the green stemmed pieces for use in regular cooking). I can add them to my vegetable powder or my green leaf powder and add a whole new flavor profile! It’s amazing stuff. I don’t have a ratio because it depedns on how much I’ve dehydrated and how much vegetable powder I have, but you can play around with ratios that work for your family.
I absolutely love playing with different ways to use my dehydrated products that aren’t the typical toss in a stew/soup and allow to rehydrate. This extends the use of your green onions even further without just using them as chunks of dried vegetation. Just add them to your powders and shake to mix.

My favorite way is to use a green leaf powder with 30% green onion in my scrambled eggs. I love the flavor of eggs and onion, and this adds nutrition plus an added punch of flavor!

For even more dehydrating recipes, click below!