Freezedry Harvest
Ingredient · Spring onion
Spring onion rings
that come back in the bowl.
FD Harvest freeze dries organic spring onion (also called scallion or green onion) as rings, grown on our own farms at Lake Naivasha and in the dryers the day it is cut. Certified USDA and EU Organic by Ecocert, the rings take up water within minutes, which suits instant noodles, soups and seasonings.
01 — The crop
A mild young onion, cut across into rings.
Spring onion is a young onion of the Allium genus, harvested for its hollow green leaves and slim white base before a bulb forms. It tastes of fresh, mild onion with a grassy edge. It is the green garnish on ramen, pho and miso soup, and goes into fried rice, congee and sour cream dips.
We grow it on our own farms and with contracted growers around Lake Naivasha, all year. On harvest day it crosses the wash and sorting line, is cut and is frozen.
02 — Where it goes
Most spring onion ends up in a bowl of hot water.
The rings are made for products where the consumer adds the water. The two biggest homes are instant noodles, soups and ready meals and seasonings and toppings.
- Instant noodles and cup soups. In the dry pack or on the noodle block; the rings rehydrate when boiling water goes on.
- Fried rice and stir-fries. Add near the end; the moisture in the pan softens them.
- Toppings and seasonings. Furikake-style mixes, chili crisp and onion salts.
- Custom formats. Diced cuts, powders and blends to your specification, never powdered unless you ask.
03 — In a no-cook product
Bringing the rings back in a dip or spread.
In a cold, wet product there is no cooking step to soften the rings, so they need a few practical steps.
- 1
Agree the micro limits
An ingredient added after the last heat step needs tight micro specifications. Our lots are micro-tested in our own lab.
- 2
Mix into the base
Stir the rings into the dairy or dressing base with the dry ingredients.
- 3
Allow standing time
Porous rings take up water quickly, but a cold base is slower than hot water, so let the mix stand before filling.
- 4
Set the dose
Start with less by weight than fresh spring onion and adjust on the bench.
Freeze drying is not a kill step. The low water activity of the dry ring stops microbes from growing; it does not remove what is present.
04 — What freezing protects
The green color and the ring shape.
Heat breaks down chlorophyll, which is why hot-air-dried spring onion often turns olive. In a published trial on chives, a close Allium relative, freeze-dried chives held 1.59 times the chlorophyll of hot-air-dried chives. Spring onion is a different crop, so judge our samples for color.
Because the ice leaves without melting, each ring keeps its cut and stays porous, and porous pieces rehydrate faster and closer to their original shape than shrunken hot-air-dried ones.
05 — Packing and ordering
Metalized pouches, a lot number and no minimum order.
Rings are packed into metalized pouches straight after drying, in bulk or retail-ready, each with a lot number traced to farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date. Shelf life is 3 years sealed; keep pouches dry and reseal after opening.
Free samples ship globally with a spec sheet. No minimum order; supply by sea from Mombasa or by air.
Questions
Questions buyers ask about freeze-dried spring onion.
How do I use freeze-dried spring onion in ramen?
Put the rings in the dry seasoning pack or straight into the bowl and pour on boiling water. Freeze-dried rings are porous, so they rehydrate within minutes and come back close to their fresh shape as a green garnish.
Do freeze-dried spring onion rings need soaking before use?
Not in hot dishes: soups, noodles and stir-fries supply the water. In cold dips and spreads, stir the rings in and let the mix stand so they can hydrate.
Is FD Harvest's freeze-dried spring onion organic?
Yes. It is certified organic to USDA Organic and EU Organic standards by Ecocert and grown on our own farms and by contracted growers at Lake Naivasha. The certificate is available on request.
Does freeze-dried spring onion stay green?
Freeze drying uses no hot air, and in published trials on chives, a close relative, freeze-dried pieces kept more chlorophyll than hot-air-dried ones. The color is not identical to fresh, so we send samples for you to judge.
How long do freeze-dried spring onion rings keep?
Three years in sealed packaging. Once a pouch is opened, reseal it and keep it dry, because the rings take up moisture from the air.
Can freeze-dried spring onion be shipped duty-free to the US?
Yes. It ships from the plant by sea from Mombasa or by air, and AGOA gives duty-free entry into the US, extended to December 31, 2028.
Contact us to discuss your product requirements.
Tell us whether the rings go into noodles, a seasoning or a dip, and we will send spring onion samples with a spec sheet.
Contact us