Know your onions

corblimey

From a cooking standpoint, is there any major difference, apart from taste between red onions, white onions, scallions and spring onions? If a recipe calls for a diced onion, is there any reason for using 1 type over the other or are they pretty much interchangeable down to your own personal requirements? Also, in terms of volume, are they around the same (I know a spring onion for example would yield less volume but I would expect the stronger taste to make up for it)

bonkey

corblimey wrote: »

From a cooking standpoint, is there any major difference, apart from taste between red onions, white onions, scallions and spring onions?

First, on a small technicality...as far as I know, scallions are spring onions (although some people use the term for shallots too).

As for the difference, the primary difference will be taste.

If a recipe calls for a diced onion, is there any reason for using 1 type over the other or are they pretty much interchangeable down to your own personal requirements?

It depends on the recipe, to be honest. In some recipes, the onion will be "cooked in" to form part of the sauce. In Mrs. bonkey's goulash recipe, for example, the onions completely dissolve. From experience, there are some types of onion (e.g. large, white 'Spanish onions') that just don't dissolve, so they're not what I want.

Also, in terms of volume, are they around the same (I know a spring onion for example would yield less volume but I would expect the stronger taste to make up for it)

Ummm....I'm not sure what you're asking. Volume is size. Two things of the same size are the same size. So a large red onion is bigger than a medium white onion. Smiilarly, a large white onion is larger than a medium red onion.

If you mean in terms of imparted flavour...well...yes and no. Different onions taste differently...as you noted yourself. You can get two onions which look identical, with one being mild and the other strong. Generally, red onion is slightly milder and sweeter than "normal" onions (which have a yellowish skin). Shallots are generally sweeter and milder again. White onions (which have a white skin) can be either really mild or really sharp, depending on what type they are.

If I understand the gist of your question though, you want to "play around" with a recipe for one reason or another. The only advice I can give to you is to go for it. If you produce something you like, the test was successful. You may find it needs more/less onion. If you're really unlucky, you may find yoru substitution just doesn't work at all.

Honey-ec

Bonkey gave you a pretty comprehensive answer, so all I'll add is that yes, scallions and spring onions are the exact same thing, and they're also sometimes referred to as salad onions (or green onions in American recipes).

Also, in relation to this:

corblimey wrote: »

Also, in terms of volume, are they around the same (I know a spring onion for example would yield less volume but I would expect the stronger taste to make up for it)

Spring onions are far, far milder than their "bulbous" (for want of a better word) counterparts, not stronger. They also have a far softer texture so if it's a robust onion you want, spring onions will be no good at all.

Shallots are sweeter than other onions and tend to be used as the base for sauces as opposed to being an onion in their own right, ifkwim.

Was there a particular recipe you were looking at and wondering if you could substitute something? If so, maybe we could help you out more.

corblimey

No nothing in particular, just been watching Market Kitchen and they seem to use spring onions, shallots (sorry yes, scallions was a typo) and 'normal' onions, but never a mixture and I was just wondering if the recipe would work and taste the same with a spring onion rather than a white onion, etc. Like bonkey says, I guess suck it and see (literally!)

BTW, what is a white onion? I've always thought this was one, but then what is a 'normal' onion.

Minder

I'd imagine scallions would be more like leeks in flavour if cooked out. One difference between the onions is the amount of sugar - scallions/spring onions will have a lot less sugar - they won't carmelise as easily as a big pot of yellow onions.

Afaik the onion in the previous post is a yellow onion - white onions are paler and milder in flavour.

bonkey

corblimey wrote: »

BTW, what is a white onion? I've always thought this was one, but then what is a 'normal' onion.

Have a look at this:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Onionsdry.html

Hmm...looking at it, I've noticed that Spanish onions aren't white. I must find out what it was I was thinking of in the first post....

The Sweeper

...white onions? Not taking the piss, genuinely - white onions have a white outer skin. Red onions are red outside, then there are yellow/brown onions...

Shallots are, to me, sweeter and stronger than plain yellow/brown onions.

bonkey

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

...white onions? Not taking the piss, genuinely - white onions have a white outer skin.

And taste different, and have a slightly different texture.

Red onions are red outside,

And taste different and have a slightly different texture.

then there are yellow/brown onions...

Amongst which there are different types, which taste different and have a slightly different texture.

hannah-j

i hate shallots