How to Prepare Raw Onions
This ice water soak transforms raw onions by mellowing their sharp bite while keeping them crisp and crunchy. A simple kitchen hack that takes just minutes and works perfectly for topping salads, sandwiches, and burgers.
This ice water soak transforms raw onions by mellowing their sharp bite while keeping them crisp and crunchy. A simple kitchen hack that takes just minutes and works perfectly for topping salads, sandwiches, and burgers.


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Peel the onion and slice it into rings of your desired thickness.
Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Submerge the sliced onions in the ice water.
Let the onions soak for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the onions from the water. They are now ready to be used in salads, sandwiches, or burgers.
Drain and pat dry after soaking, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Soak raw onions in ice water for 15-30 minutes to reduce harshness while maintaining crunch. Longer soaks may soften the texture.
Cold water dilutes and reduces the sulfur compounds responsible for raw onion's harsh, pungent bite, making them taste sweeter.
Ice water works best because the colder temperature is more effective at reducing harshness, but cold tap water will provide similar results if chilled enough.
Yellow, red, and white onions all benefit from the ice water soak. Red onions become even sweeter and lose their sharp bite effectively.
Drain and pat dry with paper towels, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.