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Baked onion snacks take center ring

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published February 21, 2007

We ate plenty of fried foods when I was growing up, but even my mom would draw the line at frying onion rings. That guilty pleasure was reserved for restaurant dinners. These days, fried onion rings come in many shapes and forms. Some are blooming, some are stringy and some are just enormous.

And, if those aren't enough, local grocery stores stock plenty of choices in the freezers.

Taster's Choice put seven brands of breaded onion rings to the test. All of them could be fried to a nice, crispy texture. But we opted for a healthier option offered by the manufacturers: oven baking.

Overall, the onion rings were a hit. However, our panelists missed the greasy, deep-fried texture and agreed they probably would prefer to heat them in oil the next time they crave onion rings.

Frozen rings from Alexia $2.59 for an 11-ounce package from Publix were a runaway leader in our survey. Judges gave the brand 83 out of 100 possible points. All four said they plan to put them in their own freezers.

Even without deep frying, the Alexia rings were crisp and golden. The onions were sweet, and panelists decided that the breading was seasoned with an Italian herb blend.

"These have a great onion taste and a nice little garlic jacket in the coating," said one judge.

The onion rings by Hannaford at Sweetbay ($2.79 for a 20-ounce package) were their second choice, with 67 points. Three of the four panelists said they would buy this store brand.

"They have a nice, big, irregular shape - they look authentic," said one judge. "They are a bit soft, but they have a bold, assertive flavor."

Another said, "You could bite through the onion and it stays put. My steak says, 'Yes!' "

Onion rings by familiar Ore Ida were the third choice, with 57 points. Two of the four panelists said they would buy the Ore Ida brand ($2.59 for a 20-ounce package from Publix).

Panelists raved about the onion flavor in the breading, but the onions inside were a bit flimsy.

Also sampled were frozen onion rings from TGI Friday's ($2.89 for a 14-ounce package); GFS ($3.79 for a 2-pound bag); Golden Crisp ($5.99 for a 2-pound bag from GFS); and Albertsons ($2.79 for a 20-ounce package).

Panelists were: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 personal chef and mother of four Julie Overton; and Gary Kawalec, chef-owner of the Tampa Bay Supper Club in Safety Harbor. All foods were tasted blind.

Judges' rankings

Breaded Onion Rings

1. Alexia

2. Hannaford

3. Ore Ida

[Last modified February 20, 2007, 10:39:06]