Onion Skin Ash

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

What's she talking about?
Well, hubby sent me a link about it because I collect and store all of our onion skins, red or brown, to use as a natural dye for my spinning. It produces a lovely rich bronze colour and saves me walking to the compost heap every time I cut up an onion.

However, it seems that next time the oven is on, I might be conducting an experiment to produce an onion skin ash that can be used as a spice/seasoning for any dish containing onions which quite frankly are most of my dishes.

Apparently, it adds a bitter but smokey taste to dishes and ash is (sorry for the repeated use, but it's news to me) apparently common in many dishes around the world and used in the manufacturing industry to add important minerals to our food.

How to turn onion skins into an on-trend ingredient | Waste Not

"Recipe"

Onion skin ash
Roast at least a handful of onion skins at 230C (210C fan)/475F/gas 8 for 30-40 minutes, or until blackened and completely charred (cook them alongside something else, ideally, to make full use of the oven). Grind to a powder, and use sparingly to add pow to all kinds of dishes.

 

[rascal]

What's she talking about?
Well, hubby sent me a link about it because I collect and store all of our onion skins, red or brown, to use as a natural dye for my spinning. It produces a lovely rich bronze colour and saves me walking to the compost heap every time I cut up an onion.

However, it seems that next time the oven is on, I might be conducting an experiment to produce an onion skin ash that can be used as a spice/seasoning for any dish containing onions which quite frankly are most of my dishes.

Apparently, it adds a bitter but smokey taste to dishes and ash is (sorry for the repeated use, but it's news to me) apparently common in many dishes around the world and used in the manufacturing industry to add important minerals to our food.

How to turn onion skins into an on-trend ingredient | Waste Not

"Recipe"

I wonder if my late auntie used it for dyeing as well? The one you found on the web??

Russ

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I wonder if my late auntie used it for dyeing as well? The one you found on the web??

Russ

Onion Skin, avocado skins and lots of tree bark are well known plant dyes. And very easy. I've been using them for years. They don't require any special chemicals or mordents. I add vinegar in with onion skins, but you don't need it with eucalyptus bark or leaves. And you don't need to do anything to the fabric or in my case wool beforehand such add treating it with soya milk to get the dye to take. Some fabrics need that but sheep wool isn't one of them.

 

[Morning Glory]

Apparently, it adds a bitter but smokey taste to dishes and ash is (sorry for the repeated use, but it's news to me)

Indeed it does - and I have some (but I didn't make it myself)! Here is one example of how I've used it:

White asparagus with reduced balsamic, parsley oil and onion ash, toasted cashews - I never got round to posting it as a recipe here:

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I thought you might know of it!

 

[Morning Glory]

I thought you might know of it!

Its very photogenic when sprinkled on contrasting coloured foods. But is it carcinogenic?

 

[Mountain Cat]

Thanks, I'll have to try and investigate! I eat onions upon onions here..

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

But is it carcinogenic?

The reported stated that there was no conclusive data either way, so best to use it sparingly as it was in traditional dishes

 

[Morning Glory]

Yeah - I don't think you would want shed loads of it in a dish anyway. Nice to sprinkle it on pale coloured soup - in fact I'm making a pale coloured soup today....