All About Onions: Varieties, Uses & Storing
Source of Recipe
Excerpt from The Seattle Times
CHOOSE onions that are not sprouting, have paper-dry skins and are without blemishes, mold or soft spots.
STORE them in a cool, dark, dry place. Hanging onions in a mesh bag or metal basket aids longer storage by allowing air movement. EXCEPTIONS: Green onions (scallions) and leeks, an onion relative, need to be refrigerated.
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SWEET ONIONS
* Chief Feature: High sugar content imparts mild flavor. Some fans love these raw, though others find they still have a bit of "bite" when uncooked.
* Season: Hawaii's Maui Sweet (or Maui Kula Sweet) onion is available most of the year. Washington's Walla Walla Sweet is available from late June through mid-September.
* Uses: A good choice for raw uses, such as in salads, sandwiches or salsa, if you prefer low "heat." May also be used in any cooked-onion recipes.
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WHITE ONIONS
* Chief Features: Glossy white appearance; one of the more pungent onions.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: Use raw in burgers, sub sandwiches, salsa, etc., if you like "hot" onions. Otherwise, use in any recipe calling for cooked onions.
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RED ONION
* Chief features: Purple in color (rather than true red), and relatively mild tasting.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: Color and relatively mild flavor make it appealing raw in salads or sauteed in stir-fries. Also good for other cooking, though color fades or turns bluish-green with cooking. Adding a bit of vinegar, wine or lemon juice helps preserve color.
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YELLOW ONION
* Chief Features: Golden color; relatively strong flavor.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: May be used cooked or raw, depending on your taste for a somewhat pungent onion. Long, slow sauteeing at very low heat brings out sweet, mellow flavors.
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PEARL ONIONS
* Chief Features: Tiny (about an inch thick); white, purple or yellow. Not a separate species, but baby versions of larger onions.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: Often pickled or cooked in a cream sauce or other sauce, alone or with various vegetables, or added to casseroles, meat dishes or other recipes.
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CIPOLLINI ONION
* Chief Features: Small, flattish, saucer-shaped, about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Mild to medium pungency.
* Season: Available in fall and winter, but only in selected groceries or farmer's markets.
* Uses: Size and shape make these good for grilling and kebabs. Good roasted, and for most other onion uses.
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SHALLOT
* Chief Features: A small relative of the onion with dry, coppery skin; flavor combines onion and garlic. Somewhat hot when raw, but cooks to a delectable, delicate flavor. Expensive.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: Especially prized for subtly-flavored sauces and soups, but can replace onions in many kinds of recipes.
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GREEN ONIONS (Scallions)
* Chief Features: A variety of onion harvested at an immature stage, before the bulb has formed, and sold with its green tops. Mild flavor.
* Season: Available all year.
* Uses: Both the white and green parts are used, raw or cooked, in recipes such as salads, sandwich fillings and stir-fries.
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LEEKS
* Chief Features: An onion relative that somewhat resembles a large, fat green onion with a white root and dark green, overlapping leaves. Mild flavor. Only the root is used.
* Season: Available most of the year, but best in fall and winter.
* Uses: Delicate flavor makes leeks especially good in soups, bisques, quiches and more.
* Special Note: Grit tends to collect between a leek's leaves and root layers. Careful trimming and cleaning are necessary.
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