Onion

[gogoblender 3,070]

I"m off to chop onions now for the weekly spag sauce and this time I opted out for the big purple ones. I'd heard they were sweeter and they do taste better on salads. I saw three kinds there...big purple ones, yellow and white. Is there any real difference between any of them?

I have this scary feeling that pretty much everything tastes all bland these days and is gonna be nothing like the kind of stuff my parents used to pull out from their garden. At that big wedding I was at a few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle had me snack on some raw (don't worry, washed ) veggies from their garde. Wow! lol, real garden veggies don't taste a THING like anything you buy at the store! The onions she pulled out were SO intense!

Is there any colors of onions I can buy that would emulate that experience?

 

 

gogo

[myles 2]

Well I usually use the purple ones for salads like things, its more colorful.

 

The yellows and Whites, I think, are the same breed, but came from different places. Maybe soil contents have something to do with it?

 

I personally cook those, like a french onion soup, yum. (although I make them a little bit too watery, any tips? )

[gial 2]

Purple onions (called "bermudas" here, usually) are sweeter and look better in salads, as observed. I've found that they are not as good in sauces or cooked, though. I think they're best raw.

 

Yellow come in a few varieties. "Walla Walla" (I guess from Walla Walla, WA) are also sweeter, and very good raw too. They cook pretty well, though, and make great onion rings, too. They are usually pretty large. There's another large, sweet yellow available here too -- I think it's called "Texas Gold". Very similar.

 

Smaller yellows tend not to be as sweet, but are great for sautee, etc. and adding to sauces. I tend to not eat these raw, though

 

I rarely use the white ones, so I don't know much about 'em.

 

 

To get a quick estimate of the intensity, peel back the paper skin a little and smell. If your eyes water, it'll be a stronger one.

Edited August 18, 2007 by gial

[erialc 2]

Red...for salads, snacking, dipping into stuff, for me they don't wok well in cooked things....unless...they are finely diced and and sprinkled with some plain yogurt over a very hot chilli mmmmm. White ones are my cooking ones. Scallions are for me 'spring onions' raw or used for thai soups etc...and snacking. I don't know of the yellow ones lol. Shallots...mmm for roasts and roasting with tons of herbs ...cooking for sure whole. Sweet and mushy and great. Did I mention I can eat an onion like an apple?..lol I love spring onions/scallions for just generally munching hehe

 

What are yellow onions?

 

Anyone got a pic?

[Funkilicious 1]

Hmmm onions, onions everywhere

 

Spanish onions are red which I will toss into salads, particularily potato.

 

Brown onions are my stock onions that I use in stews and sauces.

 

Scallions I use in salads and sprinkle on top of stirfrys just before serving

 

Shallots because they are so expensive, I use if its an important dinner

 

And White onions are a salad onion also

 

[edit]

Forgot Spring Onions - another salad one

Edited August 19, 2007 by Funkilicious

[gial 2]

Yep, the ones Funki calls brown, we call yellow because the meat is yellowish. Had forgotton that scallions (sometimes also called green onoins here in US) and shallots are onoins too.

 

Use the entire green stem on scallions, too, not just the mini bulb.

[erialc 2]

ahh so your yellow ones for me are cooking onions or just snacking onions! what a funny world we live in!

 

Scallions are my weakness...I can eat pounds of them green bits included as a sort of snack...lol...good job I am not kissing anyone...onion breath for sure!

 

Who wants a kiss? ...I can eat garlic in much the same way raw, roasted, gimme garlic LOL

[Blade 1]

Well, I can't help you with your spag or salads, but I am an amateur Salsa maker. When I make salsa from my garden vegetables, I use Scallions and garden onions, so you can taste the onion slightly while the hot peppers are burning ( I make mine very hot). I hope that helps any of your salsa makers. (And don't forget cilantro ^^ )

[Funkilicious 1]

Oh for my salsas I always use the red onions

 

@Claire, omg do you keep tic tacs on hand....what a blast of breath that must be

[Blade 1]

Oh for my salsas I always use the red onions

 

Awesome! Do you make homemade salsa too? Maybe we can share tips. ^^

[gial 2]

Awesome! Do you make homemade salsa too? Maybe we can share tips. ^^

 

You've already given the best tip -- do not omit the cilentro!

 

A lerss important tip: I use the roma tomatoes (egg shaped ones). They are more solid. Also, for the primo salsa, remove the tomato skin before dicing. (Easy to do if you score the skin and place it in boiling water for about 20-30 seconds; skin peels right off).

 

@claire: you can kiss me anytime! Love onions and garlic!.

 

As to on topic; gogo, you can't really go wrong with fresh onions. If you have a farmers market nearby, I highly recommend shhopping there for produce over the grocery store.

[Funkilicious 1]

Oh for my salsas I always use the red onions

 

Awesome! Do you make homemade salsa too? Maybe we can share tips. ^^

 

Love the freshness of this salsa

 

1 mango - cubed

1 avocado - cubed

1/4 cup chopped red onion

4 medium tomatoes - diced

1 pepper, seeded and finely chopped (obviously use the one for your heat tolerance)

1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (I think you may know it as cilantro)

2 cloves garlic, minced

sea salt and black cracked pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

good splash of aged balsamic vinegar

 

Just combine all, for the flavours to really mix - put it in fridge for at least 30 minutes

 

Enjoy!

[gogoblender 3,070]

omg, lol...this thread turned into a culinary work of art while I was away. All of you guys, thank you! And Gial...I NEVER knew you were so into onions! Claire, the pics are fantastic, and Funki, that salsa recipe sounds deeeeeeeeelish. I've decided to work with what you guys said to use as reference...purple onions for raw salads and yellow/white for cooking with. I'll be honest and say that the purple onions did give my sauce a weirdish flavor and I wasn't particularly fond of it. What I've done now is reduce by a half the amount of onions I was putting and chopped it up into finer bits. I did a cool little bit of experimenting with my sauce a few days ago and I'm anxious to post my what I tried out and my very sweet results.

 

Cheers!

 

gogo

[Funkilicious 1]

The thing with onions Gogo, if you start to cook them, they will lose flavour until you get them to a slightly golden colour then the sweetness of the onions suddenly explode.

 

Oh don't get me going on caramelized onions which I just adore especially when I make quiche....yummy

[gogoblender 3,070]

OKay

tell me about carmelized onions

I LOVE onions.

I'm actually running out now to buy a very cheap, very large hunk of beef to stew for the afternoon.

 

gogo

[Funkilicious 1]

OKay

tell me about carmelized onions

I LOVE onions.

I'm actually running out now to buy a very cheap, very large hunk of beef to stew for the afternoon.

 

gogo

 

Caramelized onions are just the best, but then again anything slow cooked is sensational

 

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions (one onion per person) diced or sliced and sprinkle a little salt over them.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned.

Add aged balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized.

Remove from heat.

[Borg 0]

The best onions I have ever found are called Vidalia's Now the problem they are only grown in the states in one state only and only in the southern most part of the state. For some reason the soil makes them so sweet you could eat them like an apple. For cooking I would use other onions but for raw they cant be beat, finding them up in the cold white north might be harder gogo

 

http://www.vidaliaonion.org/

[gogoblender 3,070]

Borg, what an excellent read that was. Course now I can't wait to get my hands on these designer onions.

I'm a huge fan of hot and sweet, I'd love to sink my teeth into an onion that eats like an apple. New food item in kids' lunchboxes? I'm just curious though as to how these puppies would price out here in montreal.

 

gogo

[erialc 2]

ahh they look really like the shallots we use here ofc you can have those little roundish ones or the long tear dropped typed shape ones and they are sweet and delicious cooked in the oven..hehe I am eating some right now that have been cooked with steak herbs diced spuds red wine etc...and the sweetness is wonderful with that beefy red wine flavor!

 

 

I wish I could get one of those here!

[myles 2]

Interesting, I think I saw something like it in a super overpriced store in the business district. I might just save a load of pocket changes and give it a try.

 

You must be like the master of exotic food Borg.

[Arilaftia 0]

Borg, what an excellent read that was. Course now I can't wait to get my hands on these designer onions.

I'm a huge fan of hot and sweet, I'd love to sink my teeth into an onion that eats like an apple. New food item in kids' lunchboxes? I'm just curious though as to how these puppies would price out here in montreal.

 

gogo

There pretty common here Gogo, so you should be able to find them up there, and they aren't too bad price wise I found the best thing to do with them personally is to batter and fry them up! Oh I'm craving them now! Be careful using them in some recipes though.. they do turn everything really sweet.. (My mom killed a potato salad with a Vidalia! )

[gogoblender 3,070]

Well..it's a big shopping day coming up for me in a few days... Vidallia's are on my list. The onion that eats like an apple...how could anyone resist!

 

 

gogo

[Blade 1]

Ah yes those are wonderful, and very sweet and not too strong. Don't forget to buy some for me too.

[Borg 0]

Interesting, I think I saw something like it in a super overpriced store in the business district. I might just save a load of pocket changes and give it a try.

 

You must be like the master of exotic food Borg.

 

Actually part of my degree is Food And Beverage but I don't work in that field ( heck I hardly work) because it would run my love of cooking by have to do it as work every day *lol*

 

And I have eaten in restaurants in your city of Hong Kong and yours too GoGo !1

Edited September 24, 2007 by Borg

[gogoblender 3,070]

Off the bat, guys, just how much is ONE of these famous onions in us currency?

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. Borg, that's a great degree...I love food stuffies