Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
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HeatherFeather
- Posts: 2558
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:07 am
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
I usually have one red onion, a bag of sweet onions, and sometimes a bunch of green onions in my house.
For most cooking purposes, I use the sweet onions - they aren't sugary sweet, they are just milder and if caramelized they do taste far sweeter than regular onions. For my family, we usually like the taste of the Vidalia onions (or Walla Walla or similar varieties), so that is primarily what I use in most every recipe.
If I want color, then I go with red onions - especially if I am going to eat the onions raw in a salad. The green onions I use whenever called for in a recipe, as they have a nice color and quite a different taste than the others.
I think the only time I get another type of onion is if the recipe really depends on a particular onion for very good reason. If an onion based soup called for specific onions, for example - in that case I might go out of my way to make sure I use those.
For most cooking purposes, I use the sweet onions - they aren't sugary sweet, they are just milder and if caramelized they do taste far sweeter than regular onions. For my family, we usually like the taste of the Vidalia onions (or Walla Walla or similar varieties), so that is primarily what I use in most every recipe.
If I want color, then I go with red onions - especially if I am going to eat the onions raw in a salad. The green onions I use whenever called for in a recipe, as they have a nice color and quite a different taste than the others.
I think the only time I get another type of onion is if the recipe really depends on a particular onion for very good reason. If an onion based soup called for specific onions, for example - in that case I might go out of my way to make sure I use those.
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
I always have Vidalia or any sweet Texas yellow onion in the house, along with red onion for salads and green onion - I love green onion, I'll put them in anything, LOL. I would sub red if possible. I never, ever buy the white onion.
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
In my house we always have a bag of yellow. We buy vidalia in the summer when cheap and use them instead of yellow. I still buy green onions year round but only use when a recipe calls for that or in salads. Reds, are expensive, and while I love, only get once in a while. For regular cooking, its yellow all the way. I see recipes that call for spanish, or white, etc....I just use my bag of yellow.
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Kchurchill5
- Posts: 16044
- Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 am
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
Big difference and to me, the type of onion can make a dish. Now obviously, we don't always have availability to all the types of onions. BUT ...
Pay attention to the types of onions.
A Sweet onion, Vidalia, Maui, Sweet Imperial, Walla Walla I prefer in more garnishes or a sweeter dish
Red onion in salads, salsas and cold dishes
White or yellow onion I use in more base dishes where they are going to be braised or sauteed.
Chippolini and pearl onions for a sides dishes
Scallions is more of a garnish for me or when you want a fresh taste at the end of a dish. I also love them salads, sauces, salsas, sauces, and stir fry.
Leeks are so similar to a scallion, but bigger, but a very mild onion flavor.
If a particular recipe calls for an onion I don't have, I will sub a white or yellow onion.
And I always have frozen diced onions in the freezer I can sub for everything other than cold preparation.
Pay attention to the types of onions.
A Sweet onion, Vidalia, Maui, Sweet Imperial, Walla Walla I prefer in more garnishes or a sweeter dish
Red onion in salads, salsas and cold dishes
White or yellow onion I use in more base dishes where they are going to be braised or sauteed.
Chippolini and pearl onions for a sides dishes
Scallions is more of a garnish for me or when you want a fresh taste at the end of a dish. I also love them salads, sauces, salsas, sauces, and stir fry.
Leeks are so similar to a scallion, but bigger, but a very mild onion flavor.
If a particular recipe calls for an onion I don't have, I will sub a white or yellow onion.
And I always have frozen diced onions in the freezer I can sub for everything other than cold preparation.
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HeatherFeather
- Posts: 2558
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:07 am
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
Oh - I wasn't even thinking of something like leeks. In the case of a recipe calling for a very specific part of the onion family, say a leek or a shallot, then yes I would use that specific variety unless I really couldn't get to the store.
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
Exactly Heather. I don't cook that way, but when it calls for an onion, I use whatever I have. I would never use a leek in a recipe that calls for just onions. I never go to get a specific onion unless its like a recipe named "Vidalia Onion Rings", then I would use the right one since thats the name of the recipe!HeatherFeather wrote:Oh - I wasn't even thinking of something like leeks. In the case of a recipe calling for a very specific part of the onion family, say a leek or a shallot, then yes I would use that specific variety unless I really couldn't get to the store.
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
Horses for courses but unless you are cooking on a top scale - we all use what we have I think. I do certainly, at home, I just do not see the need to keep different types of onion on hand for cooking for just 2. I do, however, keep small packs of caramelised onions in the freezer - but often forget they are there 
Re: Onion, onion, which kind of onion?
I've been to Vidalia, Georgia a couple of times in the early spring to check on the crop (the harvest of mature onions commences around the beginning of May) so, as you can see, I'm pretty serious about my onions.
Vidalias have to be checked very closely in the supermarket since they (the Vidalia region people) have learned somewhat as to how to keep them in cold storage -- Vidalias are not good keepers and the cold storage ones will go bad quickly after you buy them (check them by pushing down on the stem-end with your thumb, (not the root end), of the onion and if it gives way or seems a bit soft, it's probably a cold-storage onion.
In the end, you'll get the best solid and juciest Vidalias by ordering them online direct by the box in spring from Vidalia outlets -- these are the nice big solid ones, freshly-harvested. The supermarket ones which they run on sale are almost always the B-grade smaller ones, maybe like a flattened apple sized. The grapefruit-sized ones (or bigger) are the onions you want.
Walla-Wallas get harvested later and so I go with those for a mild onion as soon as they become available. I only use Vidalias and Walla-Wallas for dishes like salads, where they won't be cooked either at all or for a long time, meatloaf excepted.
For chili and most other cooking dishes, I use the huge white onions which maintain a good onion flavor during the process. They carmelize really nicely in olive oil and get as sweet as honey. I used to love Bermuda onions but I think that the Vidalia craze over the years pretty much knocked them off the market, at least around here.
When I need a *mountain* of onion, I go to the local mom and pop grocery and buy the 25-pound bag of medium yellow onions, freshly-harvested right here in Ohio during the summer -- they're really super cheap. This would be for something like a huge pot of potato soup (5-8 gallons) made in a giant double boiler directly over a campfire.
Those red (or purple) onions I use sometimes as a salad garnish if I need the color for eye appeal -- if I already have red cabbage in the salad then I go with the Vidalias (if they're in season.)
Scallions (green onions) I use mostly for garnish.
That's about all my onion-lore.
Vidalias have to be checked very closely in the supermarket since they (the Vidalia region people) have learned somewhat as to how to keep them in cold storage -- Vidalias are not good keepers and the cold storage ones will go bad quickly after you buy them (check them by pushing down on the stem-end with your thumb, (not the root end), of the onion and if it gives way or seems a bit soft, it's probably a cold-storage onion.
In the end, you'll get the best solid and juciest Vidalias by ordering them online direct by the box in spring from Vidalia outlets -- these are the nice big solid ones, freshly-harvested. The supermarket ones which they run on sale are almost always the B-grade smaller ones, maybe like a flattened apple sized. The grapefruit-sized ones (or bigger) are the onions you want.
Walla-Wallas get harvested later and so I go with those for a mild onion as soon as they become available. I only use Vidalias and Walla-Wallas for dishes like salads, where they won't be cooked either at all or for a long time, meatloaf excepted.
For chili and most other cooking dishes, I use the huge white onions which maintain a good onion flavor during the process. They carmelize really nicely in olive oil and get as sweet as honey. I used to love Bermuda onions but I think that the Vidalia craze over the years pretty much knocked them off the market, at least around here.
When I need a *mountain* of onion, I go to the local mom and pop grocery and buy the 25-pound bag of medium yellow onions, freshly-harvested right here in Ohio during the summer -- they're really super cheap. This would be for something like a huge pot of potato soup (5-8 gallons) made in a giant double boiler directly over a campfire.
Those red (or purple) onions I use sometimes as a salad garnish if I need the color for eye appeal -- if I already have red cabbage in the salad then I go with the Vidalias (if they're in season.)
Scallions (green onions) I use mostly for garnish.
That's about all my onion-lore.