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Onions
Legend has it that the onion is the vegetable that gave the "Windy City" its name. Apparently the
Chippewa Indians found onions growing on the land we now refer to as Chicago, Illinois, and called these
onions Shegaugawinshe." Since these local onions had a strong aroma and flavor, Chicago loosely
translated now means anything "strong" or "powerful."
Onions are divided into two categories: sweet or mild onions and storage or hot onions. Sweet or mild
onions are planted in late fall or very early spring, for harvest in early spring to summer, and that's
why they come from warm areas. Most of these onions are good sized, averaging about ½ to ¾ pound each,
though the Vidalia can come in smaller sizes. (The smaller sweets can be hotter.) Sweet onions have much
less bite and don't make you cry like hot/storage onions. The shape varies from round to globe shaped to
tops that are somewhat flattened. Their skin is thin, like a new potato, so it is delicate, bruises
easily, and doesn't store for extended periods of time. Sweet onions are very crisp with a high water
and sugar content, and some are sweet enough to eat like an apple. Since these onions are mild, they
are most often used raw, in salads, and on hamburgers.
Storage or hot onions are the most familiar and traditional onions that form the backbone of cooking all
over the world. They sting when you bite into them and make you cry because of their strong sulfur
compounds. Although they are generally round, shapes vary from large and round to small and round,
flatted at one or both ends, or shaped like a torpedo. Colors can be yellow (which include deeper
shades like golden to almost copper colored), white, or red.
The size, shape, or color does not alter the onion's heat with two minor exceptions. Spanish onions, the
large yellow onions, tend to be a bit milder because of their high water content; red onions are also a
little milder. All storage varieties can be stored for longer periods of time than sweet onions,
although the white onion is somewhat more perishable.
Over 135 countries grow onions. China, India, United States, Turkey and Japan are the leading countries,
respectively. Onion consumption in the United States has risen 53 percent in the last 15 years.
According to the National Onion Association, onions are used most often to enhance flavors in a wide
range of recipes…casseroles, pizzas, soups, stews, and salads.
Storage & Selection
Sweet onions should be firm and free of bruises or soft spots with thin, papery skins. Sweet onions like cool
but not cold temperatures, about 50° F to 55° F with relatively low, humidity. For this reason refrigeration
is not normally recommended — hanging them in a knotted pantyhose in a well-ventilated area is a favorite
technique. However the Vidalia Onion Committee says Vidalia sweet onions wrapped individually in foil will
last as long as a year in the refrigerator.
Storage onions should have a firm, tight skin without soft spots, blemishes, or sprouting. The skin will
often have a brittle, papery feel. Store in a cool, dry, well ventilated place, in single layers. Choose
and store pearl and boiler onions in a similar fashion. If the onions at home show signs of sprouting, cut
away the sprouts and use them immediately.
Preparation
When it comes to preparing onions, is your theme song "I'm Crying My Eyes Out Over You?" Those
unstable sulfur compounds in onions have caused many teary eyes over the years, and almost as many remedies.
My method is simple: store the onions in the refrigerator. Normally, people will tell you not to store onions
in the refrigerator because it's too cold and moisture can build up, spoiling them. I've never seen any ill
effects from this, but I use onions so frequently they don't have a chance to spoil. If you have a problem
with storing onions in the refrigerator, here are some other tips.
- Make sure that the knife you use is sharp so that it will chop quickly, minimizing tears. (That
applies to almost anything you cut in the kitchen, tears or no tears.)
- Cut from the top and peel down without trimming off the root or the bottom end until the last possible
moment. There is a theory that most of the tear-causing compounds are stored in the root end of the onion,
and that may explain why chopping the root end last, helps to minimize watery eyes.
- Use a food processor although it isn't as good as chopping.
I prefer to peel onions after they have been halved lengthwise, and the ends trimmed. Not only is it much
easier, there are times when you'll discover after chopping half the onion that it's enough, and this way the
other half will stay fresher when stored with the skin on.
To chop an onion efficiently, place one of the halves, cut side down, on a cutting surface. Make two or three
(depending on the size of the onion) horizontal cuts to the root end but not quite cutting all the way through
the root. This will give you two or three stacked slices. Then make even lengthwise vertical cuts down through
the slices toward the root but again, not cutting through the root. Finally, cut crosswise down through the
onion. The width between cuts is partially determined by how big a dice you want. When you get to the root
end, you'll have a very small piece that can be dispatched with several quick cuts. Repeat with the other
half.
The food processor is not a bad choice if you're chopping a lot of onions. It requires a little practice, as
it only takes a few seconds to go from chopped onions to a soggy purée. Peel and quarter the onions and place
them in the bowl of the processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse (turn on and off) three times with each
pulse lasting no more than one second. This will give you coarsely chopped onions. Scrape down the work bowl
and repeat once or twice for more finely chopped onions. Even under the best circumstances, onions chopped in
a food processor will be "wetter" than those chopped by hand, but with some care, you can still achieve the
desired result.
To slice onions, put the peeled onion half cut side down, and cut crosswise into half moons as thin as you
like. This shape is good for caramelizing onions to use in onion soup. For onion rings, peel the onion
without halving it, but be careful to get the onion as stable as you can on a cutting surface, and keep your
fingers tucked in.
Soaking Pearl onions in warm water helps to remove the peel.
Tony's Tip
If you use a lot of onions, buy large sizes so you'll have less waste and less work. On the
other hand, if you're always using a half or a third of an onion, buy a smaller size.
Tony's Favorite Recipe
Shrimp, Vidalia Onion, and Couscous Salad
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Sweet Mild Onion Varieties
Maui Sweet onions from Hawaii
Imperial Sweets from California's Imperial Valley
Texas 1015 Supersweet from Texas
Vidalia from Georgia
Italian Red from California
Walla Walla from Washington
OSO Sweet from Chile
Storage/Hot Onion Varieties
Spanish and Bermuda onions, are merely two types of yellow
storage onions that are grown neither in Spain, nor in Bermuda. Incidentally, Bermuda onions no longer
exist, so if your retailer is advertising Bermuda onions, they are most likely Spanish. Despite the fact
that they are called storage onions, there is a steady supply of these onions throughout the year from
various areas in and outside the country.
Pearl onions are small onions the size of
marbles and come in red, yellow (or gold), and white, which is the most widely available. They are mild
with a crunchy texture and add a nice accent to vegetable dishes such as fresh peas. Pearl onions are
sometimes called pickling onions because they pickle well. Creamed pearl onions are a favorite
Thanksgiving side dish. Pearl onions are usually sold in pint containers.
Boiler or boiling onions, are similar to pearl
onions in shape, but are larger and somewhat hotter. They are typically used in stews and casseroles
although they can be creamed like pearl onions.
Cipolline onions are small, flat, sweet onions
imported from Italy. They are delicious when featured by themselves on an antipasto table for example.
The classic way to prepare them is in a sweet-and-sour sauce.
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