How To Soften Onion Powder
Onion powder is a great way to add flavor, but it can sometimes be a bit too strong. If you find onion powder too strong, add a bit of sugar to the powder or a bit of water. This will help to balance out the flavors and make the onion powder less harsh.
It is always recommended that you keep your dehydrated onion powder in jars and containers that are sealed, instead of keeping your onion powder in ziploc bags or regular bottles. Onion powder is made with the onions that have been dehydrated, and is a passable substitute for recipes calling for fresh onions, though it will not offer the same strong flavour. Both onion and garlic powder are made by first dehydrating, and then grinding, fresh onions and garlic to a fine powder. On average, 8 pounds of fresh onions or garlic are needed to produce a pound of dehydrated powder, which is why the flavors are so much more concentrated.
The flavor profile of onions is the reason why you will often see both onions and garlic called for in a recipe. In most recipes, using fresh garlic and onions is preferred, giving you exactly the flavors that you are looking for.
Instead of using fresh garlic, which may not blend as well as the shrimp or meat, using garlic powder will help enhance the smell of your meal. If you are unaware, dishes that typically use fresh garlic in the marinade often will not soak in as well, which is why a lot of people tried using garlic powder and found garlic powder enhances the flavor of food.
Instead of spreading dried garlic powder, consider wake it up by moistening with water (use an equal quantity of garlic powder and water). It is not a precise taste match, but you could substitute garlic powder for onion powder by using half of the garlic powder.
Onion powder is a common spice in many home kitchens, and it is something that you can substitute for, or blend in, with garlic powder. You can use onion powder instead of garlic powder for meat or fish sauces, making the meat dishes taste better and being effective at eliminating the smell of fish. Use onion powder especially because the flavor concentration is roughly equal to that of garlic, so you can add equal amounts to a dish to balance flavors. Onion powder works particularly well for people who dislike garlic and onions, but want to enjoy a tasty meal with lots of flavour.
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Onions are a type of allium, like garlic, that is just as flavorful, but brings some different notes to the plate. In terms of flavor, asafoetida powder is not as mild, and is more of a concentrated form of garlic or onions. If you are shying away from all of the bad effects to your breath that come with using garlic powder or onion powder, then you are going to like Asafoetida powder.
The scallions flavor is intermediate between garlic and shallots or onions, and thus is an ideal garlic powder alternative if garlic is not your thing. Once the garlic powder has turned to an onion prickly mess, you can smash it up with a hammer or cheese cleaver, and then throw the prickly bits in your spice mill or mini food processor so that you can use them. Dehydrated onion pieces can be stored as is, or broken down further to minced onions and onion powder using a food processor, a quality blender, spice mill, or a coffee mill.
| Powder | Softening Method |
| Onion Powder | Put in 600w microwave for 30 seconds |
| Garlic powder | Microwave into a cup of water for 40 seconds |
Before using it in any food items, clumped onion powder needs to be ground back to a powder. Also, protein and carbohydrates are also dissolved, making granules of the onion powder cling together, adding a layer to the clump. The carbohydrates or proteins in a powdered spice will dissolve in a tiny amount becoming sticky, which will make the granules stick together. Since White Rice is a good absorber of moisture, this helps in breaking down the clumps to granules.
Add six to 10 grains of uncooked white rice into your container to help absorb any moisture coming in contact with your onion powder, helping reduce any clumping later on. Pour the powdered meal into the fine mesh strainer one at a time, and press any loose powders into the empty strainer. Put the powder into an airtight bottle, shaking the bottle occasionally to prevent any condensation from building up outside of the bottle from getting in. If you find any moisture inside your cleaned cans, use the dehydrator to further dry your onions, chill, and pack back into your clean, dry jars.
The drying time will vary depending on the size of the onion pieces, the amount of moisture they have, and your humidity levels. The onions can come in any shape, just make sure that all of your onions are roughly the same size, so that they dry evenly.
If you want to use a few onions, but you do not have any fresh ones that can be chopped, you can just rehydrate them and use them like you would with fresh ones. The flavour of rehydrated onions will wane as they age, so you might have to use a little extra in a recipe if you have any that are over a year old.
If your recipe calls for a whole onion, you will take 1/4 cup of chopped onions, add 1/4 cup boiling water, and soak them for 5-20 minutes. To re-mix dried minced onions before using, soak 1 part dried minced onions in 2 parts hot water until they are soft, about 20 minutes.
I used both methods above, and I have just had some lumps of them appear in some really old working spice pots, which should have been discarded because they lost flavor anyway with the passage of time. Dried garlic and onions let you instantly boost their intense flavors, with no chore of cutting, trimming, or grinding. Like Original Granulated Garlic, dried onion powder makes an excellent spice rub, roasting spice, or marinade ingredient. Onion powder can also be easily combined with dried herbs and spices to create a shelf-stable blend, like a DIY herb mix, taco seasoning, and spice rub.
Some onion powder is bottled for consumer consumption, while the remainder is channeled into commercial products, such as sour cream-onion chips, packaged onion rings, and the soup mixes mentioned above. There are two–garlic powder and onion powder–that I cook with so rarely, that I am starting to notice they tend to harden into chunky blocks in between uses. Onions, which begin as about 89% water by weight, are first dried (either air-dried, dehydrated, or frozen-dried) then crushed down to flakes, cornmeal-textured chunks, or fine, powdered powder. For particularly large foods, break up the crushed foods into pieces that fit easily into a blender or processor with a finger or tool, such as a wooden spoon or an ice pick.
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Minced garlic has more of an intense flavor than powdered garlic, since it is fresher, so you need to use less crushed garlic in a recipe. Squeezing out all of that moisture concentrates onion flavors, but also requires more input from the fresh bulb for relatively little return.
Why is my garlic powder hard?
Due to moisture exposure, the spice powder has clumped together. The spice’s proteins or carbohydrates melt somewhat and become sticky, which causes the granules to adhere to one another. The best way to prevent this is to add something that will absorb the moisture.
How do you soften powder?
Put the lumpy powder in a blender or food processing machine. If your powdered food is very thick, break it up into pieces that will comfortably fit in the blender or processor using your fingers or a utensil like a wooden spoon or ice pick.
What causes the clumping of powder?
Highly humid air or other components with a greater water activity can absorb moisture. A powder will clump if the surrounding moisture is greater than the water activity of the powder. The powder will clump if an additional component has a greater water activity. Take action to prevent issues.