Make Caramelized Onion Jam in the Oven

Caramelizing onions always takes longer than you think. It’s partly the fault of the recipe writers who tell you that this is something you can make in half an hour, which is simply not true. Sure, you can brown an onion in half an hour, but caramelization — the process of breaking down long chains of sugar molecules into individual sugar molecules and then further breaking those sugars down into smaller, flavorful molecules — takes at least 40 minutes for a single onion. .

My favorite way to caramelize onions is in a saucepan over low heat . There are ways to speed up the process, like adding more sugar and baking soda , but my laziness beats my impatience every time, so I let the natural sugar in the onions take my time.

But the saute pan can only hold a certain amount of onions. If I need two or more jammy, richly flavored onions—or just ran out of oven space—I caramelize them in the oven, which takes a while, but is fairly unobtrusive and doesn’t require as much vigilance. eyes.

You gotta keep them wet

When I first started caramelizing onions this way, I found many recipes that suggested adding a “splash” of water to keep the onions from burning. It wasn’t enough. I start by adding a full cup of water to the pot, and keep adding cups of water to the pan as it cooks. This will prevent the environment from drying out and keep the onions from browning before they caramelize, which is especially important if you are using the convection oven.

In addition to onions and water, you will need some salt and some olive oil. Then you just need to wait and stir every 15 minutes or so until they turn into a thickly colored, soft and pliable mass of onions, perfect for adding to sauce, soup or anything else you can use a spoonful of onions for. sweet, sweet onion.

Keep them together

When frying vegetables, you need to decompose the parts of the plants so that they do not get wet, and the edges are browned and become crispy. The latter is the opposite of what we are aiming for here, and the former is the opposite of what we are going to do. Instead of putting the onions in the pan, we will keep them together. This keeps everything moist while they caramelize and ensures that the outer pieces don’t cook much faster than the onions in the center. Use a silicone mat to keep the onions from getting into the pan, as the hot metal can speed up browning and cause the onions to brown rather than caramelize.

In addition to adding water every 15 minutes (or as it evaporates), you need to stir just as often. Do this by removing the onion from the pan and flipping it over, flipping it towards the center of the pan so the outside becomes the inside and the top becomes the bottom. Toward the end, as the onions get darker and darker, you should do this every 10 minutes or so and then every five until you reach your desired level of caramelization.

caramelized onions in the oven

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Water

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and heat the oven to 375℉. Add the onion to the skillet and stir in the oil and salt. (Use your hands.)

Gather the onions in a heap in the middle of the pan, then add 1 cup of water and place on a rack set in the center of the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then toss the onion by removing the onion from the pan and flipping it over, flipping towards the center of the pan so the outside is in and the top is in. Repeat every 15 minutes until the onion begins to darken and caramelize.

You will notice a few browned or even burnt bits here and there, and this is normal. If you find this happens frequently, you can stir more often, add a little more water, and blot the onion after stirring to make sure you don’t have any sticky pieces.

Once the onions are golden brown, start stirring every 5-10 minutes until you reach your desired level of caramelization. For two large bulbs, this takes a couple of hours. Add to sauces, spread on grilled cheese sandwiches, or add to soups or casseroles. They can also be eaten with just a fork. There is nothing like them. Onions keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Updated at 1:56 pm EST to add information about using silicone baking mats and a storage note.