How to Freeze Green Onions or Scallions
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Can you freeze green onions?
So, this is one of those posts that many of you will chuckle at and think, “You didn’t know that?”
I am here to tell you that, no, I did not know that you can freeze and save green onions for later use. So for those of you out there, like me, this post is for you.
This year, my backyard garden has given us a CRAZY amount of green onions. They are bigger than I’ve ever seen in a grocery store and I simply didn’t know what to do with them all. I mean, look at these crazy things!
I was about to throw them in the compost when I ran the question past my dad, the gardener extraordinaire, of what I should do with so many leftover scallions (green onions and scallions are the same thing, FYI). He informed me that you could chop them up and freeze them for later use. Duh.
So that’s what I did today. I yanked out a TON of onions, washed them off, chopped them up, and froze them!
Want to save some leftover onions in the future? Read on, my thrifty friends!
How to Freeze and Store Green Onions
First step is to wash your veggies. Use a combination of white vinegar and water to soak or rinse your produce. One study says use 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Another said use 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar. I usually use somewhere between those two recommendations.
Mine were out of the garden so I didn’t have to worry about pesticides but I did have to spray some dirt off and make sure I didn’t freeze any bugs along with my onions.
Next, chop up your onions. I first chopped off the roots, then cut the bulb off, and froze those in a separate bag. After removing any dead growth, I choppy-chopped away!
Lastly, spread out chopped onions on cookie sheet. I laid some parchment paper down (to make for easier removal later) and spread them out as best as I could. I then stuck both sheets of onions in the freezer. I do this so they aren’t all clumped up and frozen together.
After they had been in there for a few hours, I moved them all to a Ziploc bag. (I’ve read that saving them in an empty water bottle is handy too!)
How to Use Green Onions that Have Been Frozen & Thawed
Since freezing onions will cause them to lose their crisp texture, only using them in dishes you will cook. So these would be good for soups, marinades, omelettes, fried rice, etc. Here are some of our delicious recipes that use green onions:
Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
Add them to:
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour
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More Resources on Freezer Cooking
We have a wealth of information on freezer cooking that you might find helpful. Make sure you start with all of the freezer meals in our recipe index.
Here are a few more ideas:
5 Best Ways to Package and Store Freezer Meals
Oplyn Ferguson says
Thank you so much. Now I don’t have to throw any out
Rachel says
You’re welcome!
Carolyn says
I freeze regular onions all the time, and are wonderful for quick use in preparing a dish and only need a small amount. I just didn’t know if you could freeze green onions. Never use all of the ones I buy at one time. Thanks.
betsy says
what about full grown homegrown onions? can they be frozen like green onions or do they have to be cured as if for cold storage?
Polly says
I’m pretty sure you could just chop them up and freeze them using the same method.
josh hopkins says
Thank you that is awesome
Saskija says
YIPPY!!Thanks so much for this info because I could have saved MANY a dying grocery store bought green onion bunch in my fridge! Winter will be here soon enough and I will have plenty of green onions now!!
Brigitte says
Thank you!! So well explained and so helpful. I look forward to using them for soups and fried rice in the winter.
Rachel says
You’re welcome!
DELLA HURLEY says
I have a lot of green onions and figured I’d try to google and see if I can freeze them as do not want to waste them as I love onions.
yes, thanks to your father and you writing your blog I will be chopping away.
thanks so much
Polly says
Great! I hate when good food goes to waste. Glad this could help!
Julie Craig says
Awesome and very helpful because I have so many green onions in my garden this year . Thank you! !
Lee says
You can do this with chives, parsley and cilantro too. I put 1/4 cup portions in zip lock bags and then roll them up tight and store them in a tall mason jar in the freezer.
Polly says
Great idea! I don’t know why I haven’t done this before.
Lucas says
You know you could have just trimmed them instead of yanking them. They would still be alive producing more leaves for you.
Saundra McIntyre says
Thanks for the info. now I can freeze my scallions.
Thank you.
Saundra
Rachel says
You’re welcome, Saundra. Glad it was helpful!
Linda says
Thanks a million for this post. I got here through google. I way overshot on green onions for our mac and cheese bar so I am pleased to find out I can reuse them in a quiche or soup. Thanks again!
Sarah says
Thanks! I linked this page on my blog. I didn’t know you could freeze scallions either but I use them all the time.
Anna says
Great info. Do you know long scallions will keep frozen? 2 months, 6months? Thanks!
Polly says
I’m pretty sure they should be good up to 10-12 months. Maybe do a little more research but that’s what I read.
Dennis says
I have kept them from one season to the next & they seemed just fine to me.
Michelle says
THANK YOU! I wasn’t sure how to do it. Actually, I’m only saving the green tops, as I have a small kitchen scrap garden, and the green onions are re-growing hog wild. So I’ll harvest the tops from them and let them keep on growing.
Rachel says
Glad this was helpful to you and that you can save your green tops, at least!
CherylK says
Wow, I didn’t know you could leave them in the ground and just use the tops…I love that!
jon anderson, Meng, MD says
thanks , i’ll try your suggestions..
What amazed me among ‘foodie’ sites on the net was a ‘green onion’ used by a guy famous for his sushi skills … The onion bulb wal like 4+ INCHES in diameter!! .. Maybe that’s ‘usual’ in ‘sushi country’ but ive never seen such a specimen ..
Any idea for a source for such ‘monster green onions’ ???
tkjtkj@gmail.com
Lindsey says
Thanks, this was just the information I needed to save my huge patch of green onions!