recipes & tips

Can I freeze basil? What is a sunchoke? How can I tell if a cantaloupe is ripe? Answers to these questions and more can be found in our handy produce guide. 

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Onions

About: The onion is the most widely cultivated member of the Allium family. Onions come in many varieties and forms! Common onions are normally available in yellow, red and white colors. Yellow onions are excellent in many dishes. They turn a rich, dark brown when cooked and give French onion soup its sweet flavor. The red onion is great fresh or grilled. White onions are wonderful sautéed. Scallions and summer onions are immature forms of onions with a lighter, less bitter taste than their fully developed counterparts. Some onions are bred to mature as smaller onions- pearl, boiler and pickler onions are examples. Some onions, like Walla Walla or Vadalia varieties, are so sweet that people eat them like apples.
Nutrition Facts:

Onions are a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C.

Storage:

Keep in a cool area with good air circulation or refrigerate.

Tips:

To stop crying over your onions, see below:

  1. Chill onions in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping.
  2. Use a sharp knife. A blunt knife will crush rather than cleanly split the cell walls of the onion, releasing more gas-producing enzymes.
  3. Light a candle near your cutting board — the flame will draw away some of the gas released by the onion.
  4. Chop onions near a fan or vent to draw away gas.
  5. Chew gum while you chop.
Quick Fix:

Caramelize onions in 10 minutes: Place chopped onions in a dry pan without salt and cook over medium-high heat until dark brown and softened, which takes five minutes. Add oil and a pinch of salt and cook for five more minutes until completely soft. Throw on top of bread for a snack, or use as a garnish to just about any meat or fish. Add to pasta, soup, or pizza. Be creative!

Recipes:
Summer Tomato, Onion and Cucumber Salad Caramelized Onion Pizza French Onion Soup Chicken with Onions and Garlic