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I found out from a cookbook at the library that adding a pinch of baking soda to onions while you cook them makes them caramelize way faster, like in 15 minutes instead of 45.
Tried it with a batch for French onion soup last night and it worked, but now I'm worried it changes the flavor too much, has anyone else tested this method?
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sam_walker6mo ago
Ugh, I feel you on that. I tried the baking soda shortcut once and got the same weird, almost slippery texture that @derek868 mentioned. It saved a ton of time, but the flavor was off, kind of flat and a little bitter. For my money, low and slow is the only way to go for something important like soup. The long cook time pulls out all the natural sugars and gives you that deep, sweet flavor you just can't rush.
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derek8686mo ago
Oh man, I saw a whole article about this exact trick! It said the baking soda makes things more basic, which speeds up the browning reaction. But yeah, the article also warned it can turn the onions a bit mushy and give them a soapy or weird aftertaste sometimes. I guess it's a trade-off between saving time and getting that perfect flavor. For a quick weeknight burger topping, maybe it's fine, but I'd skip it for something like soup where the onion flavor is the whole point.
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anthony4265mo ago
Ever notice how so many shortcuts just trade quality for speed? Like @sam_walker said, you can rush the browning but you lose that real flavor. Honestly feels like a lot of modern life is just choosing which corners to cut.
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