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Onion types


IrishCream

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I am hoping for advice on when and why to use the different types of onions. I use brown onions for all cooking with the exception of a few recipes that specify red. When available, I sometimes use so-called sweet onions raw. But I never use white onions. Am I missing the boat? I am also rather confused about some of the onion terminology...particularly what is meant by Spanish onions and globe onions. The supposedly reliable sources seem to be in conflict.

Please forgive me if this subject has already been discussed...I searched and could not find it.

Lobster.

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Irishcream - here is a link to a site that has much information about onions (and much else). It covers all the questions that you sked about.

Onions

Thanks, Adam. I was also very curious. We refer to brown onions as yellow onions so right there, confusion can reign. I have seen and wondered about white onions and am now game to try them. Anna N

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Thank you, Adam..for the great website. But I am still kinda confused! I guess a globe onion is just the usual brown (yellow) onion that I typically use? But Bermuda vs red? The red onions in the grocery stores here now look more like the Bermuda onions...but it is mid-winter not spring. And what about Spanish onions? The site seems to say they are just brown onions that are bigger.....but how do I determine which is which?

edit: And yes, Cathy, I agree red onions are no longer sweet...what happened to them?

Edited by IrishCream (log)

Lobster.

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I agree about the reds no longer being very sweet, although many people still believe they are. A short soak in cold water - even as little as 15 minutes - seems to help the sharpness if you're going to be using them raw.

The whites I get at my store seem to be a somewhat less sharp than the yellows, although for something like French Onion Soup, I usually get the yellows. After all that cooking, any onion is sweet. I really think it has a lot to do with the length of storage as well, but I may be wrong.

Bottom line - I use whites and yellows interchangably, and reds only when the color matters, or if I know they're sweeter.

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Thank you, Adam..for the great website.  But I am still kinda confused! I guess a globe onion is just the usual brown (yellow) onion that I typically use?  But Bermuda vs red?  The red onions in the grocery stores here now look more like the Bermuda onions...but it is mid-winter not spring.  And what about Spanish onions?  The site seems to say they are just brown onions that are bigger.....but how do I determine which is which?

edit: And yes, Cathy, I agree red onions are no longer sweet...what happened to them?

Irishcream - difficult for me to advise as I am not in the USA. Nomeclature on onions would seem to be as complex as fish names. What I would call a "Spanish Onion" (from an Australian background) is a red onion. Having been to Spain in the last year I cooked with some red onions that had brilliant white flesh, but very red skin. They also were very sweet and I could happily eat one raw. Not surprisingly, this onion wasn't known as a Spanish onion in Spain.

Best thing I could suggest is that you ask the grocer, I'm sure they would be very happy that somebody has taken an interest.

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