Stronger onions ?

Piliger

In recent years I am finding the onions I get in Superquinn or similar places are very bland ... not much of a kick ..

Am I right ? Are the supermarkets selling a particularly bland brand ?

Has anyone any idea where I can get s a stronger variety ? Not expensive organic ones ?

Would somewhere like Moore Street have them ?

Mrs Fox

Wouldn't red onions be slightly stronger?

the beer revolu

Mrs Fox wrote: »

Wouldn't red onions be slightly stronger?

I think red onions are milder.

Mrs Fox

the beer revolu wrote: »

I think red onions are milder.

Oh. I had it wrong all this time then!

Dizzyblonde

If you want a stronger onion-y flavour in cooked dishes wouldn't shallots do?

the beer revolu

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

If you want a stronger onion-y flavour in cooked dishes wouldn't shallots do?

Also milder in flavour than onions;)

Dizzyblonde

the beer revolu wrote: »

Also milder in flavour than onions;)

Haha. Mrs Fox - we know nothing about onions :rolleyes:

Mr. CooL ICE

Hmm, OP could be on to something. I used to cry like a baby when chopping onions, but haven't done so in a few years. Either I have become immune, or they have gotten weaker

Piliger

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Haha. Mrs Fox - we know nothing about onions :rolleyes:

Well to be fair when I googled this topic I came across several reference-type sites that stated Red and Shallots were milder.

I am convinced that Superquinn and tesco are selling a 'weak' strain of onion these days.... I am surprised that there is so little labelling of exactly what type they are in the shops. Unlike with potatoes.

pwurple

The general rule I *think* is that the larger thin skinned spanish onions are sweeter and milder, where the thick skinned medium ones ae stronger. That's what i found from growing them anyway... But who knows what variety supermarkets get. The larger onions keep better maybe, and people do complain all the time about chopping strong onions. So demand must be for the milder ones.

Mrs Fox

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Haha. Mrs Fox - we know nothing about onions :rolleyes:

and I eat the stuff almost everyday! tut tut tut

SpannerMonkey

yup your 100~% correct they have gotten a lot milder , dont know where you can buy stronger , but you could grow your own they would be a lot stronger . i grow the myself and they are the easiest thing in the world to grow they are like a weed , just plant them and forget about them and once it rains enough (which being ireland :rolleyes:) it will youll have no trouble

rubadub

I get cheap small ones labelled as cooking onions and they seem to be stronger.

http://theyankeechef.blogspot.ie/2013/11/different-men-have-different-opinions.html

Yellow Onions:

These are called cooking onions in the kitchen and are the most common onion in the chefs' repertoire. Used in soups, stews and sauces, yellow onions are perfect for caramelizing.

While it doesn't say they are stronger, it lists others and calls them mild. I had thought they were called cooking onions thinking it meant they were too strong to be eaten raw. Reading the quote below it might be similar to cooking apples, staying together better while cooking.

http://www.familyfeatures.com/feeds/food/FeatureDetail.aspx?ID=1630

These yellow, red and white storage onions (also called cooking onions) have a higher percentage of solids. Because they have less water content, storage onions are the perfect choice for savory dishes like Pasta Primavera With Caramelized Onions.

I like the small ones as I can eat the lot in 1 go, without have to store a half one which is cut and goes all withered if not used quick enough. If the dish needs lots then the small ones are a pain.

murphym7

I agree the Onions these days do seem a lot “weaker” in flavour.

Question on the onions they mark as “cooking” onions, are these fine to have in sandwiches salads i.e. raw? Or is there something funky about them I should know about?

duploelabs

It all depends of the time of year and how long they're out of the ground as to how strong they'll be, usually out of season and long out of the ground will give you a stronger flavour. But I'm sure if you asked how long they're out of the ground to a member of staff in tesco I'm sure you'd get a great reaction

loveisdivine

We use Roscoff onions and they have a lovely flavour. Definitely not weak either, always get us tearing up!

Piliger

loveisdivine wrote: »

We use Roscoff onions and they have a lovely flavour. Definitely not weak either, always get us tearing up!

This is the first time I have heard anyone refer to a specific variety of onion ...

Alun

Occasionally I grow my own onions and Roscoff is one of the varieties commonly available as sets to plant. I'm not sure I've ever seen a variety of onion specified any time I've bought them ready to eat in a shop though.

loveisdivine

These are the ones we buy, we get them in superquinn.

Alun

Hmmm, maybe I'm mistaken, Roscoff is (of course!) a place in Brittany not a variety in itself. I'll have to have another look when I plant some more.

rubadub

murphym7 wrote: »

Question on the onions they mark as “cooking” onions, are these fine to have in sandwiches salads i.e. raw? Or is there something funky about them I should know about?

Seems they just have a lower moisture content, and possibly stronger. They can be eaten raw, nothing weird about them having to be cooked like some pulses etc -if it was something like that there would be warnings and it would be well known.

Piliger

I found and wrote to the British onion assoc yesterday with the same questions. I will revert here with any response I get
Thanks for all the input !

rubadub

Piliger wrote: »

This is the first time I have heard anyone refer to a specific variety of onion ...

weird it is not common to hear it. There was a tv program on about tomatoes and how the supermarket ones are flavorless. Same with strawberries, some new strain which they get a few crops out of, but poor taste.

Piliger

Disappointing response from the UK Onion Association "British Onions" this morning that doesn't really give us much hope:

"There are a number of factors determining the strength of onions : variety, sulphur status of the soil/irrigation water and climate all play a major role. There is no evidence of the strength of onions declining over recent years but there will certainly be subtle year to year variations in strength. There are 'stronger' varieties that are suitable for UK or Ireland conditions, these varieties are commonly used for dehydration in the northern USA but they are not currently grown here."

rubadub

some program was on a couple of nights ago and they were testing the strength of flavour of onions. It was not much use though, think they just called them "white onions" and "red onions". The mixed up samples with some other chemical or plant juice or something and they changed colour, it was not exact by any means.

Just found this searching

If you want "serious" onion flavor I think you'd be disappointed with the sweetness of Vidalias or Walla Wallas.