Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions (sometimes called "Spanish Sweets") have long been known for their wonderfully mild onion flavor and superior cooking characteristics. As an ingredient or topping, they perform beautifully, complementing and enhancing other flavors without overwhelming them. And with their high sugar and solids content, they're ideal for popular techniques like carmelizing, sauteing and grilling.
Many people ask how our onions compare to sweet onions which are typically available in the summer months (ours are available from August to April).
- Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions actually contain more sugar than sweet onions. While our raw onions are somewhat more pungent, cooking brings out the wonderful sweetness and mellow onion flavor that chefs love.
- Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions contain more solids and less water than sweet onions. When cooked, they retain much of their firm texture.
- Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions' mild pungency may signal an important health benefit: a recent study by researchers at Cornell University found that stronger-flavored onions contain higher levels of the antioxidant quercetin, a compound show to inhibit the growth of come cancerous cells.*
- Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions store longer--up to nine months under the proper conditions, reducing loss from shrink.
Yellow, red or white? Many people also wonder which color of onion they should use in their dishes. Generally speaking, yellow onions are best for cooking and red onions for salads. White onions are the traditional choice in Latin cooking and usually served diced and uncooked. But we all know rules were made to be broken, so don't be afraid to experiment!
*J. Agric. Food Chem., 52 (23), 7172 -7179, 2004. 10.1021/jf030733d S0021-8561(03)00733-7 Web Release Date: October 16, 2004
Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onions. The bigger. The better.
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