Food: A Few Facts About Onions

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A Few Facts About Onions
Friday, September 30, 2005

Onions, like many other vegetables, are a two-pronged vegetable when it comes to eating. There are onions harvested in the summer months, but you can store them for good eating in the winter months as well. Onions have a long harvest season. The main types, yellow, white, and red, are available from March through August. You can tell when these veggies are ready to pick because their skin is very thin and translucent. These onions are the ones you would use for sauteing and other similar dishes.

Winter onions are the same colors, but they have been put into storage. These onions are harder and have thicker skins than their summer counterparts. Winter onions are great for stews or other slow-cooked dishes because their flavor is released gradually.

The three colors of onions are not evenly divided. The popular yellow onion, the ones labeled generically "onion" in the grocery store, make up about 88 percent of onion crops, according to the National Onion Association. Yellow onions are considered the basic onion and can be used for a multitude of dishes. They will brown very well and can be used in casseroles, souffles, soups, salads, and other dishes.

Yellow onions also work on sandwiches although it is popular to see red onions used for this purpose. Red onions are sturdy and will hold up to grilling, making them popular for grilling dishes. White onions are sweeter than the other two and are most often used in Mexican food.

The size variety in onions is one of their most interesting qualities. Onions can be very tiny. These white onions have a potent taste although they may be only one inch in diameter. These onions are best for creamy dishes or boiled. A type of onion called "super colossal" can reach five inches in diameter, but these onions are very rare. Most of the ones grown or imported in the United States are about three inches wide.

Different states produce different types of onions, and it is important if you are making a large number of onion dishes to learn the difference. The most popular of the sweet onion varieties is the Vidalia onion, produced primarily in the area around Vidalia, Georgia on the east coast. These onions are harvested from April through June.

Other varieties include Hawaii's Maui Sweet, harvested year round and Texas' Spring Sweets, available from March through July. Note that these varieties are all summer varieties. If you want winter onions, they are available in Michigan, Ohio, New York, and other states throughout the winter months. Some varieties, such as the Vidalia, are produced elsewhere in the winter. The Vidalias you will find in the winter actually are grown and stored in California.

While onions are not known for their massive nutritional value, they do have certain flavonoids, such as quercetin, that helps slow down damage to the body. Some studies also indicate that onions may be responsible for helping with stomach ulcers and may increase bone mineral density. These studies are preliminary, however, and should not be taken for definite fact at this point. Still, even without health benefits, onions are a wonderful flavoring veggie to add to your meal!

By Julia Mercer

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