Instructions: An easy way to go for the gold.

All onions become sweeter with caramelization. We often use yellow onions to test our recipes, although white and red varieties work well, too. These tips and techniques will help you make the Caramelized Onion and Canadian Bacon Strata on page 145 of our Jan/Feb 2001 issue-or any other recipe that calls for this yummy ingredient.

1 pound of onions yields about 3 cups vertically sliced onion.

3 cups slivered onion yield about 1 cup caramelized onion.

8 cups slivered onion yield about 2-1/2 to 3 cups caramelized onion.

Stir occasionally during the first 5 minutes of caramelization, then more frequently during the last 10 or so minutes. Its important to keep the onions moving.

The onions should be a deep golden brown, but not burned, so watch them closely.

Onions need lots of space to caramelize, so make sure your pan is large enough. Use a 12-inch skillet to caramelize 3 cups of onions; use a Dutch oven to caramelize 4 cups or more.

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