Plan for major volume reduction when caramelizing onions
Start with a large quantity of onions because they reduce dramatically during caramelization.
Caramelized onions shrink a lot as they cook down. The transcript notes starting with about 12 cups and ending with roughly 2 cups once fully caramelized.
The short version
- Expect onions to reduce to a fraction of their starting volume
What goes wrong
Making too little and ending up with a tiny amount
Start with a larger volume than you think you need.
Why it works
Onions lose moisture and collapse as their structure breaks down, concentrating into a much smaller volume.
Put it to use
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