Don’t throw them away: How you can still use onion skins

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For most of us, onion skins end up straight in the bin. This is a big mistake, as the dry skin and outer husk contain many healthy substances that can be utilised in various ways.
A good way to utilise onion skins and their healthy ingredients is to add them to the soup. Wash the onion skins well and cook them in the soup. The skins are full of fibre and phenol, giving the soup a strong, hearty flavour and a beautiful, appetising colour. This addition is particularly recommended for vegetable soups, as onion skins enhance the flavour. Don’t forget to fish out the onion skins at the end.
Baking bread with onion skins
Dried and finely ground onion skins can also be used for baking bread. You can replace up to five percent of the flour in a bread recipe with onion skin powder. The bread mixture has a much higher antioxidant content, making home-baked bread healthier. The bread also has a pleasant flavour and contains less gluten.

Onion tea for colds
A top home remedy for a stubborn cough is onion tea. Due to its antibacterial and expectorant properties, it is ideal for treating a persistent cough. Slice an onion with its skin and boil it in about half a litre of water for at least five minutes. Then strain the onion tea and drink it as hot as possible in small sips. If the tea tastes too much like onion, sweeten it with honey.

Onion skins for hair colouring
It sounds unusual, but onion skins are an excellent natural hair color. If you want to get a copper shine in a completely natural way, use onion skins. And don’t worry: there’s no nasty onion odour! You need 50–100 g of onion peel and 250 ml of water. Cover the onion skins with water and boil them. Then leave to cool and filter through. After shampooing, you can leave the colouring on your hair for approximately . 30 minutes to 2 hours. Repeat this process until you have achieved the desired colour intensity. The colour lasts for around six to eight washes.

Onion skins for healthy plants
Onion skins can also be helpful in the garden and for houseplants. Pour about 10 g of onion peel over a litre of hot water, then leave to cool and sieve. Now, you can water your plants with the onion skin decoction. They will thank you for it, as it provides the plants with important nutrients and prevents mould infestation.