Onions

[chicgail]

How do you choose which onion to use?

I tend to gravitate toward buying sweet onions like vidalias or walla wallas, but I think I remember reading that they have more water than yellow onions. I don't know what's right.

I use red onions to pickle or in salads.

I use white onions when I'm cooking Mexican because that's what Mexican recipes usually call for.

Looking for guidance here from my more knowledgable friends.

[CocoaChanel]

Soups, stir fry, roasting: Spanish onion
Stews: cippolinis
Sautee: Shallots or Spanish

I can't eat onions raw, so above is about all I use onion for

[Karl S]

For using raw, use sweet onions. (If you use red/white/yellow storage onions raw, they should be rinsed a few times in cold water and dried before serving.)

For long cooking, yellow storage onions are the best: they have a much richer palette of flavor than sweet onions when cooked for a long time. Red onions can work well cooked long, but the color can be odd.

[LMAshton]

In Singapore, I've only seen red and yellow both for onions and shallots. The red onions I've seen rot faster than yellow (almost ll food is imported, so possibly it's already old when it arrives), so I tend to go with yellow, even for Asian dishes.

In Sri Lanka, only red are available for onion and shallots. So, you guessed it, there I buy and use only red.

[sandylc]

I mostly use sweet yellow onions. White for Mexican (soaked in cold water after chopping). Scallions and shallots and leeks as needed. Can't remember ever buying red onions; we don't eat raw ones beyond Mexican and sometimes scallions.

[treb]

My goto's for cooking are vidalia or any other sweet onion, for salads, I use red.

[SarachkaInBrooklyn]

I love onions, as does my boyfriend. I'd love to buy all the different varieties if I could, but cost and storage space are definitely an issue since we live in NYC.

I usually just wind up buying regular yellow cooking onions. I go through onions like crazy...I find that onions are a very important flavor base for many dishes, even if you can't tell in the final product that they are there since they've been cooked down or finely chopped.

Also, strangely enough, the sweet onion varieties at any of the local grocers always seem to be bad. I often go to the store planning on buying some red onions for raw applications, but always change my mind when I see what's available. Usually they are soft, or already on their way to rotting with that very particular onions-going-bad odor. It's unfortunate.

Since the boyfriend and I are quite fond of onions, however, and we definitely like their strong taste, if I want onion in salad but don't have any sweet ones, I finely chop some yellow onion, then soak it in ice water for 15 minutes to half an hour, changing the water a few times. Rinse it off and I've found that the harshest bite is tempered, and they are much more palatable raw.

[Kontxesi]

I grew up with yellow onions. Always. For everything. (Scallions excepted.)

The only time I use sweet white onions is for raw consumption, like salads or on burgers. (I think the variety our farmer grows is called "Candy".) I used to use reds, but the ones I've gotten recently have had much more kick to them than I like.

I buy 3 lb bags of yellow onions to use as my go-to onion. I almost always have scallions on hand for Asian or Mexican meals. Reds only come home one or two at a time, when I want to make something look pretty.

**And to answer your question, sweet onions do have a higher water content. Most people keep them in the fridge, as they will last longer there. Your non-sweet varieties are usually winter onions (aka storage onions). They keep much longer, partially due to less water, and don't need to be refrigerated.

[wyogal]

I find that I have fewer tears while slicing when I refrigerate my yellow onions.

[Kontxesi]

I was going to mention that, but it didn't get past a self-edit. Not NEEDING to refrigerate doesn't mean CAN'T refrigerate. I stick mine in the crisper when there is room. I'm a big baby about cutting onions! My fiance often walks in to find me with my head in the freezer....

[wyogal]

Yep. I just don't have storage room in the pantry for onions, otherwise, I'd buy more, then put them in the fridge for a cool down prior to cutting them.
:)

[pinehurst]

+1 on what Kontxesi said.

[Shrinkrap]

I like this, from Saveur

http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniq...

[wyogal]

Nice! Thanks for posting this!

[CindyJ]

For eating raw, as in garden salads or in cucumber/onion salad, my preference is sweet onions, Vidalia, Maui or others. For cooking, I use yellow onions, which are usually less expensive. For Asian cooking, I use scallions.

[janniecooks]

I usually buy yellow onions, but often they feel too soft or just don't look good enough at my local market, in which case I'll buy white. Red onions for salad or if something I'm cooking specifies red onion.

I hardly ever use sweet onions because they tend to have little flavor after cooking. Most recipes specify the appropriate type of onion, and if not specified, white or yellow would be the norm.

[GH1618]

Walla Walla, or other sweet onion, when used raw in a sandwich. Ordinary yellow onions when they are to be cooked down for a sauce. Red onions in a salad. White onions in a dip. The last can be used raw, or sautéd lightly to reduce the sharpness.

[C. Hamster]

+ 1 to all above from GH1618

[juliejulez]

I don't know how knowledgeable I am, but I usually stick to yellow onions unless the recipe calls for otherwise. I keep in the pantry (which is dark and cool) and they last for a very long time.

[BrainFoodie]

So, I choose onions based on what they will be used for. Onion is not even one of my preferred foods, unless it is cooked. I find it to be too hot for most raw applications. If you are going to use onions raw, then yes sweet onions are the way to go. The red onion is the most common of the sweet, but also the least sweet. Vidalia, Maui (if you can get them) and chipolini are the sweetest that I have tried. For cooked applications the sweet onions tend to break down quickly and so a more solid and less sweet onion is better. Most of the "heat" of the onion is from sulfur compounds and most of the compounds are broken down from sulfates to sulfites. The sulfates are obnoxious but the sulfites we taste as sweet. The main thing is that they retain texture during longer cooking methods (i.e. braising, roasting, stewing etc.) Try wrapping your favorite sweet onion in aluminum foil after removing the core, pack it with a mixture of beef bullion paste, pepper, and butter. Parsley, thyme or other herbs can also be added. Close foil tightly. Bake on high or grill until soft. Yummy!

[DuchessNukem]

That bouillon/butter-roasted onion sounds damn lovely, brainfoodie. I'm roasting a bunch of garlic in the crockpot tomorrow and might just have to make space for that onion.

Oh, and to answer the thread: shallots and yellow onions are my go-tos. Shallots for flavor, color, texture and versatility; yellows for storage tolerance and because that's what mom used. I know the Duke loves reds but they just don't keep as well for me.

[wyogal]

It depends on the use, what's available, what looks good. I find that yellow onions keep longer, are cheaper; that's what I usually buy. I keep them in my fridge.
It all depends on what you want to use them for.
I'm not sure what type of guidance you are looking for.
Here is a google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=yello...

[sueatmo]

I use sweet onions as my all purpose cooking onion. They seem to work for me. I like shallots too, but I hate messing with the skins; they are more work than the larger sweet onions.

And for salads, I strongly prefer the sweets.