The Great Onion Debate

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The title probably has you wondering: why on earth a debate about onions? Well, it’s taken me a long time to figure out what type of onions I can tolerate eating. And I’ve been doing a bit of reading about the various onions and which onions are best to use in recipes.

For years I’ve purchased red, yellow, and white onions. I’ve always thought the red onions were more appealing somehow. Probably because of their rich color. I do love shades of purple in my garden. From time to time I’d try eating the red/purple onion chopped or sliced.

To me a hamburger is just not a burger without a slice of onion added to it. I just love that crunch when you bite into it. But soon after I enjoy that burger, heartburn arrives to make me pay for that lovely crunch.

Recently, I figured out, quite by accident, that I can eat sweet onions raw. Now wouldn’t you think I’d have figured out that if it is called a “sweet” onion, then it wouldn’t have that pungent bite to it? I guess I just thought of these onions as “yellow” onions.

Sweet Onions:

Sweet onions are mild-flavored and easier on the tummy. This onion is great for sauteing and caramelizing.

Sweet onions have less sulfur in them, thus the milder taste. It is the lack of sulfur than makes them more savory to the palate.

In terms of cooking, sweet onions aren’t considered your best bet due to the fact that they’re more bland. It’s probably best to choose another type of onion for cooking to lend zest to your recipe.

You may be wondering: Well, are all yellow onions sweet onions? And the answer is no.

Sweet onions are larger than yellow onions. They have a lighter skin as well. Walla Walla, Texas Sweets, Maui, and Vidalia are all sweet onions. Sweet onions range in color from white to yellow.

Yellow onions are your go-to cooking onions. These onions have a strong flavor due to the high sulfur content, which mellows out during cooking and becomes sweet and flavorful.

The Red Onion:

The red onion is by far the prettiest of the lot. But the red onion fades out when you cook it. Red onions are a common ingredient in salads because of their crisp texture and pungent flavor. 

They add a zesty punch and a splash of color to dishes. (However they give me heartburn.)

Red onions, in particular, contain anthocyanins, plant pigments in the flavonoid family that give red onions their deep color.

All types of onions are good for you. But this dark reddish-purple variety has especially high levels of quercetin, an antioxidant.

Onions belong to the Allium family of plants, which also includes chives, garlic, and leeks.

What Are Onions Made Up Of:

Did you know that onions contain around 90% water? Most onion cultivars are about 89% water, 9% carbohydrates (including 4% sugar and 2% dietary fiber), 1% protein, and negligible fat.

So you’d think that the piquant flavor of onions would be more diluted, wouldn’t you? This just adds another layer of curiosity to the great onion debate.

You may be wondering if eating onions is good for weight loss. There is evidence that onions are effective not only in reducing body weight and body fat, but also in reducing blood triglyceride levels. Onions can fit into any diet because of their nutrients, low calories, fiber, and flavor.

Onions are typically not on a list of keto friendly vegetables, but eating onions while on a keto diet can work.

How To Grow Onions:

There are various ways to grow onions. To grow onion sets:

• Plant onion sets 2 to 6 inches apart
• Gently press the sets 1 to 2 inches deep into loose soil. (Use the closer spacing if you want to pull immature onions as scallions)
• Space transplants 4 to 5 inches apart and rows 12 to 18 inches apart
• Plant the bulbs with the pointed end up. (Don’t bury them more than 2 inches into the soil. This can affect bulb development.)

Bulbs will take 12 to 14 weeks to grow into mature onions.

You can also start onions from seeds sown indoors in February or early March. The advantage to using seeds is that you have a greater selection of varieties, such as the big, sweet ‘Ailsa Craig’ and ‘Walla Walla’ cultivars.

Can You Grow An Onion From An Existing Onion?

Yes, you can grow onions from an onion’s base or bottom, which is where the roots grow. 

Plant the scraps of onions in soil. Place the small pot of soil in a sunny window. Or plant the onion scraps outside to regrow in your garden.

Why Do Onions Make You Cry:

Onions spew enzymes and sulfenic acid when their skin is broken. These compounds combine to produce a gas called propanethial S-oxide.

Propanethial-S-oxide (sometimes called thiopropanal-S-oxide) is an airborne sulfur-containing organic chemical that is similar to tear gas. Compounds that make you cry are known as lachrymators, from lacrima, the Latin word for tears.

How Not To Cry When Cutting Up An Onion:

You could wear goggles to block the fumes. Yes, you might look a bit funny in your kitchen slicing up an onion with goggles on.

Also, use a sharp knife. The lead test cook over at Taste Of Home says that with a sharp knife, you are less likely to rupture the cell walls that contain sulfur compounds in the onion. I sure didn’t learn that in biology class.

Or you can slice your onion in a more ventilated room to combat the fumes. Open a window or turn on the stove’s exhaust fan.

Best Way To Store Onions:

You could store onions in the refrigerator for maximum shelf life. You might find that the texture gets soft in the refrigerator because onions absorb moisture so easily. Whole raw onions will last two to four weeks at room temperature.

Either way you choose to store onions, remember that you should have proper ventilation to prevent mold. Don’t store onions in a plastic bag, because this will not allow for proper ventilation.

It is important to note that potatoes should be kept away from moisture-releasing foods, like potatoes.

After you peel an onion, it should be stored in your refrigerator to avoid any kind of contamination. Halved, sliced, or chopped raw onions should always be refrigerated. It is best to store them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Your onion will last 7-10 days.

I’ve always loved to chop up onions and potatoes and bake them. My girls loved them. It was a cheap side dish. Onions are the third-largest fresh vegetable industry in the United States for a reason!

So Why The Great Onion Debate:

So why the title: the great onion debate? That is purely due to my own notions about onions and their flavors.

But why it’s so nice, and dare I say “sweet”, is that now I can slice up a sweet onion and have it on a sandwich.

I can layer it on a burger and chop it up into salads. And I don’t wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn and have to reach for the Tums in my night stand.