# ISO: How to use black onion seeds



## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

I was reading one of my 1000 cookbooks earlier this summer and came across a recipe that required black onion seeds. "Where can I find those???" LIGHTBULB! I had onions in the garden that were setting seeds. So I dried the heads, separated the seed from the "husk" (time-consuming, tedious). Now, I can't remember which cookbook I was reading were I stumbled across black onion seeds as an ingredient. Does anyone care to share recipes that use black onion seeds?


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## justplainbill (Sep 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I was reading one of my 1000 cookbooks earlier this summer and came across a recipe that required black onion seeds. "Where can I find those???" LIGHTBULB! I had onions in the garden that were setting seeds. So I dried the heads, separated the seed from the "husk" (time-consuming, tedious). Now, I can't remember which cookbook I was reading were I stumbled across black onion seeds as an ingredient. Does anyone care to share recipes that use black onion seeds?


Black onion seeds sound like they would be tasty but the culinary reference to black onion seeds is normally a reference to Nigella Sativa-
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Nige_sat.html


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## Gravy Queen (Sep 12, 2012)

Great in home made flat breads . I put a pic on here of an indian dosa I made and I used them in that .


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 12, 2012)

As justplainbill mentions, they aren't really onion seeds. You'll sometimes see them listed in Indian recipes as Kalonji. Most of the time I've seen them sprinkled on flat bread, though occasionally they're sauteed in oil, along with cumin and other spices in Indian masala recipes.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

These are black onion seeds--I took them from the top of the onion plant. B%%%h to separate the seed from the "husk." Can hardly wait until I get to harvest the sumac...


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## Gravy Queen (Sep 12, 2012)

The ones I used were kalonji /nigella seeds .


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> These are black onion seeds--I took them from the top of the onion plant. B%%%h to separate the seed from the "husk." Can hardly wait until I get to harvest the sumac...


Yes, you have onion seeds, though I suspect the recipe you mention in your original post was referring to kalonji, which is sometimes called black onion seed, but isn't the same thing.

I love sumac in za'atar. You really must try za'atar sometime on garden tomatoes or corn on the cob.


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## Gravy Queen (Sep 12, 2012)

I love za'atar chicken with a sumac fattoush salad. Must do that again soon. Lucky to have plenty of local shops stocking these spices .


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Yes, you have onion seeds, though I suspect the recipe you mention in your original post was referring to kalonji, which is sometimes called black onion seed, but isn't the same thing.
> 
> I love sumac in za'atar. You really must try za'atar sometime on garden tomatoes or corn on the cob.


Will do--I'm still up to my rump in tomatoes--most of the corn has been processed. I fell in love with Swiss Chard pesto on corn on the cob this summer.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> These are black onion seeds--I took them from the top of the onion plant. B%%%h to separate the seed from the "husk." Can hardly wait until I get to harvest the sumac...




Are you talking about the red flags on Staghorn Sumac?

We used to make a sort of lemonade out of them in my Hippie daze. 

We just filled a gallon jar with sumac flags and covered them with water, steeped it overnight, strained it and sweetened it to taste with honey.

I am sure that, for me, it tasted better then than it would today.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

Yup, Aunt Bea, that's what one harvests, lets dry, and grinds for the "exotic" spice sumac. I loved that tea when I was a child...might make some of that, too.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 12, 2012)

CW, how do the seeds taste?  Maybe you could use them in something like Andy's onion bagel recipe.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> CW, how do the seeds taste?  Maybe you could use them in something like Andy's onion bagel recipe.


They taste like onion (quelle surprise!), but a more intense flavor, if that makes sense. I have sooooo many spices and herbs, I love having exotic spices on hand. I will probably grind them in my mortar and pestle and add them to a flat bread or maybe put them on top...I can hardly wait to be done harvesting so I can do some other things in the kitchen besides process tomatoes!


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## justplainbill (Sep 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> They taste like onion (quelle surprise!), but a more intense flavor, if that makes sense. I have sooooo many spices and herbs, I love having exotic spices on hand. I will probably grind them in my mortar and pestle and add them to a flat bread or maybe put them on top...I can hardly wait to be done harvesting so I can do some other things in the kitchen besides process tomatoes!


Unless you use them right away, you stand to loose some of the flavor by grinding them in advance.  Whole, they should make a dandy topping for roggenbrot.
http://germanfood.about.com/od/allbreadrecipes/r/Recipe-For-Rye-Bread-With-Sourdough-Roggenbrot.htm


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

I wasn't going to grind them right now. I was thinking of tossing them in the freezer...


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## justplainbill (Sep 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I wasn't going to grind them right now. I was thinking of tossing them in the freezer...


Freezing is likely to cause layering or stratification which will induce the seeds to try and germinate when defrosted.  I suspect this will result in a different flavor than the dried seed.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 12, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Freezing is likely to cause layering or stratification which will induce the seeds to try and germinate when defrosted.  I suspect this will result in a different flavor than the dried seed.


I hadn't thought of that. I do put different seeds in the freezer and have done the stratification process with cherry seeds. I guess I'll just put a lid on the jar and put it in my spice rack. Better use them soon!


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## Somebunny (Sep 18, 2012)

I harvested some seeds from the green bunching onions that I overwintered.  I just used them to plant more onions this summer, but I will have to try harvesting some to use as a spice.  Thanks for the idea CWS!


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## acerbicacid (Sep 18, 2012)

How wonderful to be able to grow your own sumac.

btw, love the expression "Hippy daze" really sums it up


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