Guide

Fruit and Vegetable Guide

Onions

Year-round

Description: Varieties of this bulb vegetable include yellow, red (milder and sweeter), white, pearl, Spanish (very mild), and sweet onions. Other members of the onion family include green onions, leeks, shallots, garlic, and garlic scapes.

Selection: Onions, garlic and shallots should have dry, papery outer skins and be very hard. Green onions should have a bright color and firm texture.

Storage and handling: Store yellow and white onions somewhere cool and well-ventilated. Wrap green onions and sweet onions in plastic and store in the refrigerator.

Preparation: Cut off the stem and root end of the onion. Remove the papery outer layers of skin. Cut in half and lay each half flat side down to slice or chop. Sauté sliced or chopped onions in oil or butter till soft before adding to dishes. For a deeper, richer flavor, continue sautéeing until onions brown, or even longer until they become dark brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes over low heat. Microwave peeled onions in a covered dish with a small amount of water, 5-6 minutes.

Serving suggestions: Use raw onions or green onions in salads
(SIS, p. 49). Top sandwiches with sliced sweet onions. Serve cooked onions with melted butter and herbs or in a white cream sauce.

Nutrients: Vitamins B6 and C; antitumor compound allicin, bioflavonoid antioxidants; fiber.

1 lb raw = 4 cups sliced
1 lb cooked = 2 cups

Guide

Fruit and Vegetable Guide

Onions

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	Guide General Tips Apples Asparagus Beets Blueberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Collards Corn Cranberries Cucumbers Edamame Edible flowers Eggplant Fennel Grapes Green beans Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Melon Mesclun Mushrooms Okra Onions Parsnips Peaches Pears Peas Peppers Persimmons Potatoes Pumpkins Raspberries Rhubarb Rutabagas Spinach Summer squash Strawberries Swiss chard Sweet potatoes Tomatillos Tomatoes Turnips Wild greens Winter squash Fruit and Vegetable Guide Onions Year-round Description: Varieties of this bulb vegetable include yellow, red (milder and sweeter), white, pearl, Spanish (very mild), and sweet onions. Other members of the onion family include green onions, leeks, shallots, garlic, and garlic scapes. Selection: Onions, garlic and shallots should have dry, papery outer skins and be very hard. Green onions should have a bright color and firm texture. Storage and handling: Store yellow and white onions somewhere cool and well-ventilated. Wrap green onions and sweet onions in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Preparation: Cut off the stem and root end of the onion. Remove the papery outer layers of skin. Cut in half and lay each half flat side down to slice or chop. Sauté sliced or chopped onions in oil or butter till soft before adding to dishes. For a deeper, richer flavor, continue sautéeing until onions brown, or even longer until they become dark brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes over low heat. Microwave peeled onions in a covered dish with a small amount of water, 5-6 minutes. Serving suggestions: Use raw onions or green onions in salads (SIS, p. 49). Top sandwiches with sliced sweet onions. Serve cooked onions with melted butter and herbs or in a white cream sauce. Nutrients: Vitamins B6 and C; antitumor compound allicin, bioflavonoid antioxidants; fiber. 1 lb raw = 4 cups sliced 1 lb cooked = 2 cups More from our readers Do you have a tip, comment or recipe you would like to add to this page? Send your tips, helpful comments or recipes Name Email Address Email Address confirm Comments The Fruit and Vegetable Guide is reproduced here with permission of Herald Press, publisher of Simply in Season. Subscribe to a recipe a week from the Simply in Season cookbook.
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