Australians have erupted over the recent lack of caramelisation in Bunnings’ sausage sizzle onions, after one person shared a negative experience over the weekend.
Bunnings Warehouse has been hosting its iconic community sausage sizzles every weekend for more than 30 years, and they’ve become a regular to-do for Australians across the country.
But recently, Aussies have now noticed a common gripe – and they’re determined to get to the bottom of it.
One woman revealed she has been repeatedly “disappointed” in recent weeks by the “pale, flavourless, and often a bit crunchy” onions in her sausage sizzle.
“I love a sausage sizzle. I think it’s one of this country’s greatest traditions,” she wrote on Reddit.
“Raising money for local community groups while getting to have a sausage in bread is a win-win in my books.
“However, I am consistently disappointed by the caramelised onion of late. It’s always pale and flavourless and often a bit crunchy.”
She called for “mandatory” classes on how to properly caramelise onions for anyone manning the sausage sizzle.
“I think we need to have mandatory government-funded caramelised onion classes for anyone planning to do a public sausage sizzle,” she wrote.
The revelation sparked a wave of camaraderie, with some even joking they might start bringing their own onions.
“For this reason, I always carry my own cooked onions in a little tin foil package in my sock,” wrote one commenter.
Others speculated on why the onions don’t always caramelise, with the use of frozen, pre-chopped onions being repeatedly mentioned.
“A lot of the time it will be because whoever is running the BBQ will just buy massive bags of frozen pre-chopped onions,” wrote one commenter.
“Instead of the nice, almost burnt on a hot plate variety, you get the defrosted and steamed variety of onions.”
Another added: “No matter how much I despise cutting onions, I will still always argue that cutting your own for a sausage sizzle is the way to go.”
“I spent a year of weekends doing sausage sizzle fundraisers with my kid for a school trip, and the only time our onions ever came out like that was the one time we used frozen onions.”
Some commenters explained that onions are meant to be fried, and proper caramelisation can take up to 45 minutes.
“Fried onions are what you normally get on a barbecue,” one person wrote.
“Sure, you get a tiny amount of caramelisation from the residual sugar in the onion, but proper caramelised onions require additional sugar, and a long, slow cooking time.”
“I’m no chef… but it takes a minimum of 45 minutes to properly caramelise onions and maybe longer – plus, the temperature needs to be just right,” another wrote.
SkyNews.com.au has reached out to Bunnings Warehouse for comment.