| Believe it or not, I actually hate onions
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| | India, who was followed by the United
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| in my food. Whenever I detect the sharp
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| | States. The third top onion producer,
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| and pungent flavor of an onion in my
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| | Americans harvested 3.3 million tons of
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| meal, I cringe to myself a little and
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| | onions in 2005.
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| slowly pick through my food, trying to
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| | Celebrating the Onion
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| avoid the onions at all costs. So why am
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| | Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Festival
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| I writing an article about them? Well as
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| | Why do onions make us cry?
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| it turns out, I'm alone in my opinion on
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| | You've probably noticed that when you cut
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| onions...and the rest of you Americans
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| | up a raw onion, your eyes start to tear.
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| and world-class citizens love the bulby
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| | A common problem for every onion chopper,
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| oddities. So who am I to deny you an
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| | this happens because of the enzymes in an
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| onion education -we wouldn't want you
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| | onion. Since the onion is being chopped,
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| crying over an onion, would we? Oh but
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| | the cells are being broken - allowing the
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| you already have.
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| | enzymes to be released. The enzymes in an
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| So here's my guide to the onion. I hope
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| | onion are called allianases and they
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| you find it helpful as we'll go through
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| | react to the sulfides in the
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| some of its history, some interesting
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| | onion-chopping environment to create a
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| facts, and of course - the best of the
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| | sulfuric acid gas. This gas is
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| best onion recipes.
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| | immediately composed and released into
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| The National Onion Association classifies
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| | the air, therefore reaching your eyes.
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| onions into two categories: spring/summer
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| | Our eyes' nerve endings are irritated by
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| fresh onions and the fall/winter storage
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| | sulfuric acid, therefore inducing
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| variety. These fresher onions are
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| | uncontrollable "crying."
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| available April through August while the
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| | Cooks Thesauraus recommends chilling
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| dryer storage onions turn up more often
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| | onions first to avoid tearing. "If you're
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| August through April. Both come in red,
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| | prone to crying while cutting onions, try
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| white and yellow forms, but the spring
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| | chilling them first, then peeling them
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| summer onions are said to be sweeter,
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| | under running water. Always cook onions
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| moister, and milder. Therefore used in
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| | over low or medium heat, since they
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| sweeter dishes, the fall/winter kind is
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| | become bitter at high temperatures."
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| used for savory dishes.
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| | Onion Recipes Worth Crying Over
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| The most common onion is the yellow
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| | Onions turn up in all sorts of dishes,
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| onion. Not only is most of American onion
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| | from appetizers and soups even to
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| production (for more information on
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| | desserts. They are one of the most widely
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| domestic onion production, click here)
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| | used ingredient, not just across dishes
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| focused on yellow onions, but their full
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| | but across cultural cuisine. Here are
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| flavor is suitable for a wide range of
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| | some recipes worth trying out:
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| cooking, most notable French Onion Soup.
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| | Recipes that focus on onions:
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| Red onions are used more often in salads,
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| | Tandoori Onion Salad
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| and other fresh uses, or for grilling or
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| | Onions Au Gratin
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| broiling, according to the National Onion
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| | Caramelized Red Bell Peppers and Onions
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| Association. White onions show up quite a
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| | French Onion Soup
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| bit in Mexican cuisine and have a sweet
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| | Brown-Braised Onions
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| flavor when sauteed. Others argue All of
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| | Baked Onions
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| these varieties range in size - from 1
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| | Onion Tart (Pissaladiere)
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| inch to 4.5 inches in diameter. For a
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| | Onion Bhajis
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| more specific guide to the different
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| | Indian Pickled Onions
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| varieties of onions including vidalia,
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| | Tomato and Onion Salad with Tahini
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| walla walla, and Texas, click here.
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| | Dressing
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| "Onions should be firm and heavy for
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| | Onion Rings
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| their size. Avoid onions that have
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| | Recipes that use onion as a supplement:
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| sprouted or that have an odor, or that
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| | Onion Meatball Supper
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| have green or moldy blemishes," says
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| | Braised Artichokes with Little Onions and
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| Cooks Thesaurus, who offers up some
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| | Bacon
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| helpful advice on purchasing and cooking
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| | Grilled Sirloin and Red Onions with Blue
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| onions.
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| | Cheese Butter
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| Another way to classify an onion is by
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| | Onion Chicken Breasts
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| its type: bulb, multiplier (a derivation
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| | Cranberry Onion Pork Roast
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| of the bulb onion) or tree onions. The
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| | Grilled Bratwurst and Onion Sandwiches
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| most common form is bulb, which includes
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| | Onion-Beef Fettucine
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| the sweet onions like vidalia, and all
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| | Corn and Onion Casserole
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| the colored varieties we've just
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| | Sources:
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| discussed. But if you noticed,
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| | National Onion Association
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| The top onion producer in 2005, according
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| | Cooks Thesaurus
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| to the UN Food and Agriculture
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| | UN Food and Agriculture Organization
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| Organization, was China, followed by
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| | OnionFestival.
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