Add some extra flavor and aroma to your next meal
Best to buy
Onions are available all year long. Green onions are available in the spring and summer. Sweet onions are available from April through July
Cut & clean
No tissues needed! Avoid tearing up by rinsing onion under running water to peel, and toss in freezer for 20 minutes before chopping or slicing.
A raw deal
Sweet, red, or green onions are perfect simply raw for salads and sandwiches.
Power food
Onions are a good source of vitamin C.
Also indexed as: Bermuda Onions, Cipollini Onions, Green Onions, Maui Onions, Ramps, Red Onions, Shallots, Spanish Onions, Sweet Onions, Vidalia Onions, Walla Walla Onions, White Onions, Yellow Onions
Varieties
Onions come in a variety of sizes, from the size of large marbles to softballs. Onion varieties include full-flavored and versatile yellow onions; cipollini; white onions, which have a higher water content and are slightly sweeter; Spanish onions, which are very large yellow onions; and red onions, also called Bermuda onions, which are sweeter and milder. Sweet onions, such as Vidalia, Maui, and Walla Walla onions, named after the locations in which they’re grown, are usually available only during spring and summer. Green onions are small, with their tender greens still attached, and have a fresh, bright flavor. Scallions are long and slender, with white roots fading into green tops, and a delicate flavor. Leeks look like larger scallions and have an earthier flavor. Ramps look like tiny leeks, but the greens are delicate and can be used with the white bulbs, and the flavor is more assertive and wild. Shallots are sold as firm, violet-tinged bulbs in golden skins; they have a more intense flavor, without the harshness of onions or garlic.
Preparation, uses, and tips
To avoid tearing, caused by sulfur compounds in onions, try holding onions under water to peel, then freeze them for 20 minutes before chopping. An inexpensive pair of plastic goggles from the hardware store is the best way to prevent tears. Onions can be sautéed, baked, roasted, or used in soups, stews, casseroles, and a variety of other dishes. Sweet onions, red onions, and green onions can be eaten raw, on sandwiches, or in salads.
Nutritional Highlights
Onions (raw, chopped), 1 cup (100g)
Calories: 61
Protein: 1.8g
Carbohydrate: 13.8g
Total Fat: 0.25g
Fiber: 2.9g
*Good source of: Vitamin C (10mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
