Salted Green Onions
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Salted Green Onions
While cooks prefer to use fresh chives or shallots in their cooking, Acadians from the Clare area also like to preserve some for times in the year when shallots are not available.
In order to accomplish this preservation, they use a method that was quite popular with their ancestors in the absence of a refrigerator... salting.
Many Clare Acadians grow their own shallots or chives in backyard gardens. The green parts of the shallots are cut and the bulb is left in the ground for new growth next season.
The shallots are then chopped into small pieces. A generous amount of salt is added to the shallots and they are transferred to tight sealing containers.
From this point on, the salted green onions can be kept in a pantry cupboard until opened upon which time they must be kept in the refrigerator, or the onions can also be kept in the fridge which will help them to keep their bright green color.
Salted green onions can be added to many dishes. They give a great taste to a broth or casserole. Watch out though, you don't want to put too many and be careful when salting afterwards with the salt shaker or else the result could be an unquenchable thirst.
Generally, a rounded tablespoon of the onions suffices in a family sized meal. The onions also give a great flavor to ground beef and other meats.
Salted Green Onions are available in some grocery stores in Clare if you decide not to try them on your own. Enjoy!
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