Green onions are a favorite spring garden vegetable, but not so many gardeners grow and preserve large bulb onions.
Some folks even plant lots of sets for scallions, and when they start to get too large and hot for eating as a green onion, pull them up and throw them away — then go to the store to buy mature onions! People!
What we grow from onion sets and call scallions are simply immature bulbing onions of any kind, which haven’t bulbed yet.
The words “scallions” and “onions” are used interchangeably often enough that it is considered correct, but true scallions are actually a different type of onion, a small variety that grows in bunches. They have a milder flavor and never develop a bulb.
Onion sets, in this area, are usually not labeled by type but simply sold as red, yellow or white. A look at a gardening catalog will show that there are dozens of varieties of bulb onions, with different size, shape, flavor, heat level and storing properties.
Sweet onions such as Vidalia and Walla Walla are bulbing onions with an especially high sugar content. They are usually sold as bunched transplants rather than sets, with some of the top still attached.
For the serious onion grower, onion varieties are also often labeled short day or long day. While many plants grow and mature according to temperature, onions form bulbs according to the length of daylight hours.
In the summer, there are fewer hours of daylight the closer you approach the equator, and more as you approach the poles. Think of very northern (or very southern) locations, where there is nearly 24 hours of daylight in the summer.
In the United states, this means the Southern states have fewer hours of daylight in summer than northern states. According to Dixondale Onion Farm in Texas, southern short day onions such as Vidalia (from Georgia), or other Georgia or Texas Sweets, bulb best when daylight lasts 10-12 hours.
Northern varieties such as the Walla Walla form bulbs when there is 14 hours of daylight or more. If planted in the north, short day onions will bulb very early in the spring and must be harvested while small.
There are also intermediate onions which have less preference, and our location in Southern Indiana is in an intermediate area, so just about any onion will be somewhat successful in our gardens, although they might not grow as large as a day-specific onion in its ideal environment. When growing in our area, southern onions do better if planted in spring, or fall when the days are shorter, and northern varieties should be planted in mid-spring to mature in high summer when days are longer. Now, if you have scallions in your garden which are bulbing, it’s not difficult to let them grow to their full size and preserve them.
At this point, they are probably very close to the large, white, yellow or red onions just like you buy at the store. If you harvest and store them correctly, they should last for months.
According to Purdue University, your mature onions are ready to harvest when most of the leaves have fallen over and the neck just above the bulb has started to shrivel. Dig or pull the onions, and brush off the dirt as much as possible, but don’t wash in water. Keeping the onions dry is key to long storage. Spread in a dry, well-ventilated area such as a barn or garage to dry for 2-4 weeks, or until the neck is dry and tight.
After that, tie the onions in bunches and hang or bag in mesh bags and hang in a cool, well-ventilated location.
Squash And Sweet Onion Casserole
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 1/2 pounds yellow squash, sliced into 3/4-inch slices
4 sweet onions, sliced
½ teaspoons white pepper
— salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sweet onions, minced
12 ounces crushed crackers, divided
1 1/4 cups cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet or pot, place stock, squash, onions, and white pepper. Salt to taste if necessary (stock can be salty.) Cover and simmer until squash and onions are soft.
2 In a small skillet, melt butter and saute minced onions until brown.
3 In a large bowl, mix the squash and onion mixture, browned onions, half the crackers, egg, cream cheese and soup. Place into a greased 13-by-9-inch casserole.
4 Mix cheddar cheese and the remaining crackers. Place on top of the squash mixture and bake for 45 minutes, or until brown and bubbling.
Super-Light Beer Batter Onion Rings
Source: Martha Stewart
4 cups canola oil, for frying
1 cup rice flour
2 large egg whites
— coarse salt
1 cup lager beer
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large yellow onion, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Place canola oil in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
2 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together rice flour, egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt, beer, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add onion slices to mixture; toss to coat.
3 Gently drop coated onions into oil, working in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion rings to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Onion Soup with Apple Cider
Source: Bon Appétit
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 large onions (about 3 1/2 pounds), halved, thinly sliced
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 1/2 cups bottled apple cider
12 large thyme sprigs
— fresh thyme, chopped
1 Melt butter with oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until soft and dark brown, about 20 minutes. Add chicken broth, cider, and thyme sprigs.
2 Bring to boil. Reduce heat; season with salt and pepper. Simmer soup, uncovered, 25 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
3 Divide among 6 soup bowls, garnish with chopped thyme, and serve.