Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits of sumac onion? ›

Sumac can be used in many dishes, including traditional Middle Eastern dishes and as an addition to other cuisines. Some health benefits of sumac include anti-inflammatory effects, metabolic and cardiovascular health support, antimicrobial properties, and potential muscle pain reduction.

Then you just have to wait long enough for the vinegar to do its job, rinsing away the harsh sulfurous compounds, softening the onion, and giving it a pleasantly tart pop of flavor. If you use red wine vinegar, my personal favorite, the onions also turn an amazing hot-pink color.

Soak them for at least 15 minutes (longer is even more beneficial), properly drain, and eat away! Submerging them in cold water takes away that intense, sharp bite from the raw onion. The cold water helps the enzyme that causes onions to have their pungent flavor to leach out.

Just peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then submerge them in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.

Poison sumac can cause inflamed, itchy hives on the skin. People should never ingest it. Because it may be difficult for untrained people to differentiate between sumac and poison sumac, don't forage for your own sumac. Sumac is generally safe but may cause allergic reactions for certain people.

People take sweet sumac for kidney and bladder problems including irritable bladder, loss of bladder control, and bed-wetting, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Onions - soaking in cold water to soften the flavor

When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. Squeeze out excess water before using.

Baking soda makes the onions more alkaline, which speeds up the browning reactions necessary for properly caramelized onions. But it also weakens the pectin that holds the onion's cells together, turning what should be soft but distinct pieces of browned onion into a nauseating stew of pea-green mush.

Wait 10 minutes, then serve. The salt softens the onion's fibrous texture and mellows the sharpness of their flavor. There are other ways to tame raw onion, of course. You could soak slices in lemon juice for 20 minutes, which lends a slightly pickled flavor, as in this Tomato and Herb Salad with Sumac.

A simple and quick way to do that, according to chef Rick Bayless, is to pour boiling water over the chopped onions. That's pretty much all you need to know. This step makes the onions much mellower and is an easy alternative to sauteing onions in a pan for 10 minutes to take the "flame" out of them.

Why do you shower onions? ›

According to many other users who were already familiar with the concept of shower onions, keeping these veggies in your bathroom actually helps to neutralize any unwanted odors. That's because onions act as a natural deodorizer, meaning they can basically absorb smells, unpleasant and otherwise.

Consuming onion water eases the digestion process. It is rich in fiber, which helps in the mechanism of healthy bowel movement. Onion is low in calories and increases the metabolic rate of the body, which further helps in managing diabetes symptoms. When consumed in moderation, it helps in managing blood sugar levels.

"Sulfur is what builds up in the layers of the onion. When you have a large onion, it's going to be stronger because it's spent more time beneath the ground. The longer an onion sits in the soil, the stronger the sulfur will be," explains Palak Patel, a chef and educator at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gargle with lemon juice two to three times a day. A teaspoon of lemon juice in a glass of water can help neutralize onion breath. The citric acid in lemons has antibacterial properties that can kill the bacteria that cause bad breath. Just be careful not to get citric acid on your teeth.

Owing to its bountiful beneficial values, sumac has been used in traditional medicine for the management and treatment of many ailments including hemorrhoids, wound healing, diarrhea, ulcer, and eye inflammation.

Red onions

All types of onions are good for you, but this dark reddish-purple variety, sometimes called purple onion, has especially high levels of quercetin and other helpful plant compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids give many fruits, vegetables, and flowers their colors.

In this study administration of sumac extract led to increased testosterone, FSH, LH levels compared to the control group. Table (4) this is in accordance with the study of Ahangarpour et al., (2014) they stated that sumac administration increased gonadotrophic hormones (FSH, LH) and testosterone concentrations.

We love sumac in marinades and rubs, in spice mixes for seasoning roasted and grilled meats. Try sprinkling a pinch of sumac over hummus and creamy dips, salads, side dishes, and fish. Here are some of our favorite recipes that get a flavor kick from sumac.