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ISO: ISO Durwood/Gretchen...I have a crockpot full of onions...
- Thread starter orchid
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Oops...continuing....following your method of caramelizing the onions...
I have about a 3 qt. crock and started them 28 hours ago. They just are not caramelized like they should be. About an hour ago I turned the temp to high thinking maybe it's not hot enough. We just tasted them and they just seem more like boiled or steamed. I posted a link to your original post. Help...anyone?
I have about a 3 qt. crock and started them 28 hours ago. They just are not caramelized like they should be. About an hour ago I turned the temp to high thinking maybe it's not hot enough. We just tasted them and they just seem more like boiled or steamed. I posted a link to your original post. Help...anyone?
Sous Chef Hubby just measured and it is 4 qts. I've had it forever...
but rarely use it. It's just a normal size. Anyway, they weren't caramelizing, just boiling in all the liquid. They were brown from the balsamic. I finally gave up (I had enough of smelling onions) and drained them and put them in a pot and cooked them on the stove top.
but rarely use it. It's just a normal size. Anyway, they weren't caramelizing, just boiling in all the liquid. They were brown from the balsamic. I finally gave up (I had enough of smelling onions) and drained them and put them in a pot and cooked them on the stove top.
Gretchen and Orchid, mine came out the same way when I tried it, last year...
I just figured maybe the onions were too watery, and I really don't understand why they would caramelize anyway, from a technical point of view.
Crockpots are covered, and it seems to me they would just steam, and not brown. To brown, they would need air, right? Like in an open saucepan?
Anyone know the science of this? Where is Harimad when you need her! ;o)
I just figured maybe the onions were too watery, and I really don't understand why they would caramelize anyway, from a technical point of view.
Crockpots are covered, and it seems to me they would just steam, and not brown. To brown, they would need air, right? Like in an open saucepan?
Anyone know the science of this? Where is Harimad when you need her! ;o)
I did this twice with slightly differing results
The first time when the onions had started to cook down some, I transfered them to a smaller pot and had to cook them for a long time, maybe 18-20 hours and they still were quite wet. I even tried tipping the lid slightly so it wasn't tightly seated on the pot and would let out some moisture. The second time I left the whole works in the big pot (mine is 3 quarts but is 20 years old) even though the volume was quite reduced and they carmelized much better and were done in about 12 hours and I even had some crunchy bits in there around the sides. I think the success of this would likely depend on two factors, how much water the onions contain to begin with and the crockpot itself. Some pots cook a little hotter than others and there is even a difference in how tightly the lids fit. In the second batch I just left the lid in place as I normally would. Tranfering the onions into a smaller pot after they started to cook down as I did with the first batch definitely did not work as well at least not in the pot I had.
The first time when the onions had started to cook down some, I transfered them to a smaller pot and had to cook them for a long time, maybe 18-20 hours and they still were quite wet. I even tried tipping the lid slightly so it wasn't tightly seated on the pot and would let out some moisture. The second time I left the whole works in the big pot (mine is 3 quarts but is 20 years old) even though the volume was quite reduced and they carmelized much better and were done in about 12 hours and I even had some crunchy bits in there around the sides. I think the success of this would likely depend on two factors, how much water the onions contain to begin with and the crockpot itself. Some pots cook a little hotter than others and there is even a difference in how tightly the lids fit. In the second batch I just left the lid in place as I normally would. Tranfering the onions into a smaller pot after they started to cook down as I did with the first batch definitely did not work as well at least not in the pot I had.