What is a stalk of green onion?
In this brief guide, we will answer the question, “What is a stalk of green onion?”. We will further talk about the different parts of green onions, and how to chop and store green onions.
What is a stalk of green onion?
The white bottom part excluding the bulb is the stalk of green onions. The stalk of green onions has a more pungent and more intense oniony flavor, likely because it is nearer to the roots in the ground which delivers the flavor of the onion.
The stalk of green onions is also more fibrous, so it is best to eat cooked rather than consumed raw (though it can surely be served raw as a garnish or added as an ingredient to the salad if you like the strong taste).
When cooking the stalk of green onions, add it to the pan first to allow it to become soft as it does take a little more time to obtain tenderness.
What are the characteristics of green onions?
Green onions are a variety of young onions that have stiff white stalks (without bulb) less than half an inch in diameter that have not completely grown into a bulb; stringy white roots and elongated tender green leaves.
Both the white stalks and the green leafy part of green onions are added to recipes and can be consumed both raw and cooked. The only part which is not consumed is the last part of the bulb, which often has a beard on it.
The white stalk of the green onions has the most flavor, while the green part goes well as a colorful garnish. In general, green onions taste a little milder than regular onions. They make a fabulous garnish for casseroles, omelets and tacos.
Green onions are grown in bunches and harvested young. Hence, are also known as “bunching onions”, other than scallions or spring onions.
How to use the stalk of green onion?
The stalk of green onions add a strong onion flavor to a dish, so they can be eaten raw if you like the pungent taste and even used as an alternative to regular onions.
The stalk of green onions is chopped and used in raw salads and dips, such as salsa and guacamole. You can also add them to any cold salad, like black beans, corn and tomato salads with your favorite dressing.
Green onions also go well with soups and potatoes. Cut green onions and add them as a garnish for homemade noodles, or pasta recipes or mix them with other vegetables to make a nutritious stuffing for summer rolls.
If you want to keep it easy, you can add diced green onions and a bit of garlic powder to unsweetened Greek yogurt to make a tasty onion sauce.
Chopped green onions also are also commonly added to cooked dishes, for example, stir-fry and egg recipes, like quiche.
What is the best way to store green onions?
If you want to store the green onions for moderately less time, just pull the elastic band from the cluster, wash them, jerk off excess water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Then cover them with a damp paper towel (squeezing them to remove the water) and keep them in the crisper drawer on the humid level for almost 3 days.
If you want to store the green onions for a prolonged time, you will need a tidied glass pot. Fill it nearly halfway with water. Pull the elastic band and wash the green onions, then put them up in the pot keeping the white parts at the base.
At last, cover the tops with a plastic crop bag and use the elastic band to tie the bag around the mouth of the pot. The green onions will stay fresh for almost one week.
How to dice green onions?
For garnishing, you just need the green parts and dice them very finely. But if you want to cook them, you will have to use the whole green onions– including the white stalks. For this, separate and toss the stingy white roots.
Take many green onions and form a bunch. Start to chop the green onions by keeping the tip of your cutter on the cutting board, and griping the bunch with the other hand, moving the cutter slightly up with every cut.
You can chop them as finely or coarsely as per your preference. Avoid cutting pieces bigger than a quarter-inch as they can get chewy. It depends upon what you are making if you want to stop just when you reach the white part or count them in.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we have provided an answer to the question, “What is a stalk of green onion?”. We have further talked about the different parts of green onions, and how to chop and store green onions.
