Let's Talk ONIONS - which do I use?

I don’t mean exotic recipes or rare varieties. Although these are great subjects for any good Chef, I am talking about the lowly, common three onions that are a staple of kitchens everywhere.

I want to talk about just plain old onions. We should all know the important differences in the Onions that we eat almost every day, and that most of us try to keep at least one of, in our pantry, all of the time.

The good old Red, Yellow and White Onions are what we will discuss here. The ones that you see listed in the ingredients for most of your day to day dishes. In fact, these three varieties of Onions account for the vast majority of the total onion consumption in the US.

Oh, there are; Shallots, Chives, Scallions, Spring Onions, Leeks, Ramps, and many, many other exotic and fantastic varieties of onions, with amazing flavors that are found around the world, but these three are the most commonly used.

I talk to a lot of people who seem to have set opinions on even just these three staples of the onion family. Often, people will tell me things like; I hate Red Onions, they are way too strong, or I just love sweet white onions, when I use them, it tastes like I don’t even have onions in the dish, or even questions like; which onion should I use when I make a salad?

So, before I begin, if you are one of those people who turn their nose up at the mention of the word Onion, and refuse to even consider eating them, well, you should move on to something else, and stop reading this right now.

This information is for those people who enjoy the flavor, aroma, and health aspects of Onions, and just need a little basic information on these varieties to make better decisions on which one to use.

Be aware that the range of flavors of each of these onion varieties can range from sweet to very pungent, but the flavors mentioned is the predominate one that you will find when you use each. It is always smart, when using onions, to make your first cut and then use your nose and then take a small bite of a piece to determine exactly what you are using. Then adjust your quantity used according to what you have to work with.

Do not tie yourself down to an onion that is called for in a recipe. If your recipe calls for a Red onion, you should take a good look at the dish itself, and you will probably be able to safely change over to a Yellow or even White onion with doing any harm to the flavor of the dish.

Ask yourself things like; is the dish supposed to be sweet or does it have strong flavors in the other ingredients, will my choice make a major change in the flavor of the finished dish, what herbs and spices are used in the dish and will the onion choice change these flavors, what sauces or dressing will be used with the dish, and will the onion choice enhance or clash with their flavors? Just remember that Intelligent questions will lead to intelligent choices, every time.

RED ONIONS:

The Red Onion provides a great color contrast to almost any dish it is used in. And, it has a stronger and more pungent flavor than yellow onions. Red Onions are great when used raw, grilled or roasted and go well in fresh dishes such as vegetable Salads and on sandwiches. And it is used often on and with foods that have strong flavors in the other ingredients of the dish, as a good contrast.

YELLOW ONIONS:

The Yellow Onion, which typically has a mellow sweet flavor with little aftertaste and is the most popularly used of the bulb onions, accounting for over 75% of the volume sold in the US. They have a full flavor, and turn a dark brown in color when cooked. They are often grilled, fried, caramelized, and are used in soups, etc.

WHITE ONIONS:

The White Onions can have crisper flavors varying from Mild to very Sweet, and with very little aftertaste, depending on the variety used. Because of their sweet flavor, they are favored in many Mexican dishes, fresh salads, as well as potato and pasta salads. And are used often in white sauces. Plus, they turn a nice golden color when sautéed.

PREPARATION NOTES:

Here are a couple of good tips to remember when you are preparing your Onions:

Onions can be grilled, roasted, sautéed or caramelized. But, the calorie conscious should be aware that when you caramelize an onion, you will increase the sugar content of the onion used.

Onions should be used as soon as possible after cutting due to the fact that they lose their flavor as they sit and using high heat when preparing onions can add a bitterness to their flavor, so when cooking, specifically sautéing, use a low or medium heat to avoid this.

SELECTION:

When selecting your onions for use, look for the following; no discolorations, blemishes or cuts in the onion. When you inspect an onion, even with the outer paper-like outer layer, you should see that the outer layer, of the onion itself is not dry looking, but has good color and seems moist.

STORAGE:

Onions can be kept for a long time, if they are stored properly. They need to be stored in a cool dry place where air can circulate around them. Do Not store onions in bags, either paper or plastic. This will contain the gases from the onion itself and will speed up the ripening process causing them to rot early. Note that White onions do not store as well as the Red and Yellow varieties.

Once you have cut an onion, it should be kept, in the fridge, in a sealed container. This will keep the odor from the onion contained and not spread to your other refrigerated foods.

Hopefully the information is helpful to you. The use of Onions enhances the smells and flavors of so many dishes that we eat, and nutritionally they are great for us. They are free of Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium, while providing relatively high levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Fiber and Manganese among other critical nutrients, while being low in calories.

HEALTH BENEFITS:

Onions provide numerous health benefits, and historically, they have been used to help treat Colds, Coughs, Bronchitis, Asthma and other breathing problems. They can be used to help suppress harmful bacteria in the Colon and reduce the instance of stomach cancer and can also aid as an anti-coagulant. But remember, that the stronger and more pungent varieties of onions provide more aid in these areas than the milder and sweeter varieties.

On the other side of the coin is the fact that even though eating onions is good for your health, in the long term, be aware that eating large quantities of them can lead to stomach and intestinal distress resulting in nausea and diarrhea.

Use them wisely and Love them!

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