What does the quick onions vs slow onions experiment test?

It tests one variable: cooking time. The idea is that onions cooked slowly for 30 minutes taste far sweeter than onions cooked for 5.

40-minute experiment

Quick onions vs slow onions

Patience, measured in sweetness.

The idea

Onions cooked slowly for 30 minutes taste far sweeter than onions cooked for 5.

The one thing you change: Cooking time

You need

2 onions, sliced
A pan
Oil and a pinch of salt

Steps

Cook half the onions in oil on medium for 5 minutes. Scoop them into a bowl.
Cook the other half on medium-low, stirring now and then, for about 30 minutes. Stay in the kitchen. If they catch, add a splash of water and stand back, because it hisses.
Taste them side by side.

What you should find

The 5-minute onions are sharp and a little raw tasting. The 30-minute ones are soft, brown and jammy sweet.

From the app

Cook this with Chef Fizz

Step-by-step mode with timers, in the free app.

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The science behind it

Why cooked onions turn sweet

Cutting an onion breaks its cells, so an enzyme meets sulfur compounds and makes the sharp, tear-causing gas. That gas is the raw bite. Heat destroys the…

Read the explainer

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