The Onion

If you want folks to think that you have spent all day cooking in the kitchen, then chop up some onions, fry them up in butter and voila! The aroma of cooked onions is so wonderful, people will actually think that you have spent the entire day in the kitchen! I thought today I would devote a blog to this incredible vegetable!

Common onion - photo by Jon Sullivan

Did you know that the common onion (allium cepa) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable? The allium family includes a number of familiar cultivars such as shallots, green or spring onions, leeks, chives and potato onions.

The common onion comes in three colors: yellow, red and white. The yellow onion is a good one to use for onion soup, or pan fried in butter to be laid over a steak as it turns a rich dark brown. The yellow onion has a bit of a tangy flavor. When I use these in cooking I stick them in the freezer for about 20 minutes before cutting them as this minimizes the tears that result from cutting onions. The red onion is a perfect choice to use raw in salads or for use on the grill. The white onion is the traditional onion used in Mexican cuisine. When sauteed this onion turns a wonderful golden color.

Here in the Sierra Foothills we have the California native wild onions.

Wild Onion - Photo by Gary A. Monroe

In the spring time they emerge in shady areas. Our local black bears love these little gems.

Historically, onions were used by the Grecian athletes to lighten the balance of blood. Roman gladiators rubbed their skin with them to aid in firming their muscles. Onions were found in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV as they were believed to symbolize eternal life. And early Doctors used them to aid in bowel movements, and to relieve headaches, coughs, snakebites and hair loss.

The onion also is a good source of antioxidants, and is believed to be effective against fighting the common cold, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. It has also been found that the onion has cancer fighting agents and can help to reduce cholesterol. You can use a cut piece of onion to help reduce the swelling of a bee sting.

One thing about using onions in cooking is to be really careful in their handling. Recently it was found that onions can be the cause of food poisoning. It was thought that it was the mayonnaise in potato salad that could give you food poisoning, but it actually is the onion that can cause the food poisoning.

To get the smell of the onion, or even garlic, off your hands after handling, wash your hands in running water while using a stainless steel spoon, or other object (not the knife!). This gets rid of the smell in no time!

So, remember the little bit of history and uses of this gem of the kitchen and don’t forget: Fry some up in butter and your company will think you have been in the kitchen the whole day!