Today is March 28, 2024 / /

Kosher Nexus
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ONIONS!

We really love the “I”m Not Martha, I”m Lizzy” emails that we get. Recently, we got one about onions: red onions, white onions and yellow onions. We once spent days driving across Texas by car and all we remember is the smell of the onion fields. Other than that, we like onions, we use onions, but we know little about them. Well, thank you, Lizzy, for that is about to change:

Onions are part of the Lily family…can you believe it? Onions come in three colors – yellow, red, and white. Approximately 88 percent of the crop is yellow onion, with about 7 percent red onions and 5 percent white onions.

When purchasing red, yellow or white onions, look for dry outer skins free of spots and blemishes. The onion should be heavy for its size with no scent…the no smell part is very important.

Store whole onions in a cool, dry, ventilated place, NOT in the refrigerator. Do not store them in plastic bags; lack of air movement reduces storage life. Chopped or sliced onions can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to a week.

To cut down on the crying, caused by sulfuric compounds, chill the onion for about 30 minutes and cut inton the root end of the onion last.

Red onions come in many varieties but they have one thing in common, they are usually very sweet and can be eaten raw. They are not only used to add flavor but to add beautiful bright color to dishes as well.

Their color varies from red to deep purple tones making them perfect for garnishes. Red onions are also known as sweet Italian onion, Italian red onion, Creole onion and red torpedo onion.

Cooking tip…
Red onions may have the very best flavor, but they can turn onion soup an unappetizing -bluish-gray color. Adding some acid, either lemon juice or vinegar, to the soup at the end helps it to regain its reddish color. So, whenever the color of cooked red onions becomes dull looking, add a little citrus juice or vinegar to restore their naturally vibrant color.

Onion Trivia

The average American eats 19 pounds of onions per year.

There are 30 calories in a serving of onions.

The thickness of an onion skin can help predict the severity of the winter. Thin skins mean a mild winter is coming while thick skins indicate a rough winter ahead.

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