Onion Powder vs Granulated Onion

[Xebikr]

Hey all. I was hoping I could get some help with a quick question. I was testing out a mashed potato recipe last night that I'm planning on using for Thanksgiving. It calls for onion powder and all I had was granulated onion. I used half of what the recipe called for, but the potatoes still came out with a very strong onion flavor. What is the difference between the two?

If it helps, this is the recipe:
9 potatoes peeled, cubed, boiled until soft and mashed
6oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter

Mix together. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Spoon into a baking dish and bake for 30 min at 300F.

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

[phatch]

It's only a slight texture difference really. You might get a stronger flavor out of powder than granules.

I don't recommend either for getting a nuanced balanced onion flavor. Google has lots of hits on onion mashed potatoes that would probably offer a better result.

onion mashed potatoes - Google Search

[Luc_H]

Hi Xebikr,

there are many factors involved here:
onion powder is very hygroscopic meaning it soaks up humidity in the air and clumps. lot's of anticaking additives are added to prevent that so it can be less flavourful then granulated onion.
Onion powder also loses more volatile aromatics during processing (larger surface area exposed during the dehydration process).

2 tsp of granulated onion (even powder) is a small amount for that recipe. You must have a good batch of granulated onion if the flavour was too strong.
another factor is manufacturers occasionally add onion oil extract (potent stuff) to dehydrated onion products making granules and flakes more flavourful then powders. (difficult to add oils to the powder).

Luc H.

[Xebikr]

Thanks for the information/suggestions. I knew I should have started experimenting earlier . I was reading through some of those recipes from the Google search. I like the idea of using fresh onions. If I sautéed some onion and then puréed them, do you think that could give a more balanced and mild flavor?

[Luc_H]

absolutely! (even better)

[KYHeirloomer]

I'd actually caremalize them, not just saute, for the richest, most balanced flavor.

[Luc_H]

ditto to what KYH said...

Luc H.

[Xebikr]

Thanks everyone for your help. The potatoes were a big hit!

[shel]

Originally Posted by Luc_H

onion powder is very hygroscopic meaning it soaks up humidity in the air and clumps. lot's of anticaking additives are added to prevent that so it can be less flavourful then granulated onion.
[...]
another factor is manufacturers occasionally add onion oil extract (potent stuff) to dehydrated onion products making granules and flakes more flavourful then powders. (difficult to add oils to the powder)

So, might there be any benefit to using onion granules and pulveriving them into a powder with a food processor?

While I rarely - it's been years - use dehydrated onion (and garlic) they are sometimes an ideal choice when making a BBQ sauce or rub, or for certain chile powder recipes.

shel