Red Spring Onions
Inventory, bunch : 0
Description/Taste
Red Spring onions are harvested primarily for their bulbous roots. The roots have a thin moist paper-like ruby colored skin with a snow white flesh that is juicy crisp, savory and sweet. The green stems are hallow and can be more pungent and dry than the roots.
Seasons/Availability
Red Spring onions have a peak season from early February through June, but they are available year-round.
Current Facts
Red Spring onions can be harvested very young to mature. The younger onions have a petit narrow barely-bulbous root, resembling the appearance of a scallion or a shallot shoot. More mature roots begin to become bulbous and plump, however they will never become globular like the common dry storage onion as they will not be left in the field long enough to achieve that shape. Spring onions are often the result of culling the field to make room for remaining onions to mature.
Applications
Spring onions are specifically harvested for their sweet and savory taste with the balance leading more to sweet as they have less sulphuric content than mature onions. They can be treated not just as a seasoning but as a vegetable as well. Red Spring onions do not lose their color when cooked. Showcase their sweet flavor by grilling them or roasting them and either serving them alone with sea salt and olive oil or pairing them with fish and poultry.
Geography/History
The onion is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables and is considered to be native to Central Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times in the Middle East and India. It is now the most widely cultivated and distributed allium in the world, adapting to a variety of climates from cold to temperate, semi-tropical and dry.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Red Spring Onions. One is easiest, three is harder.
Sailu's Kitchen | Spring Onion Pakoda | |
In Love with Food | Spring Onion Gravy Chicken | |
David Lebovitz | Pickled Red Onion | |
Seasoned to Taste | Creamed Chard and Spring Onions |