Onions are members of the allium family (along with scallions, leeks, and ramps). There are many varieties of onions, but with a few exceptions, we rarely call them by name. Instead, we distinguish between them by feature: color (red, white, or yellow), flavor (sweet onions), or size (baby or pearl onions).
How to store onions and salvage less-than-perfect-ones
With all onions, you want them to be firm. Steer clear of specimens with soft spots or cuts. Store them in a cool (and ideally dark) spot with good airflow, and keep them separated from potatoes. Sweet onions have an especially short shelf life, so use them quickly or keep them in the refrigerator. Or, follow the lead of Sam1148’s grandmother and store them in panty hose, tying a knot between each onion and then snipping one off as needed. Once cut, leftover onions should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator, far away from any foods you wouldn’t appreciate picking up an added onion flavor.
After a fair amount of time hanging out in your kitchen, your onions will start to send out green shoots. We’re not fussy about the little green shoots that sprout in garlic, and we feel the same way about them in onions. Turns out Deborah Madison is with us, saying: "You can use those greens when you want some green onion in a dish and have none around." (If you disagree, just flick them out of the onion and carry on chopping.) She's also not put off by the dusty black spots you sometimes see under the skin: "Peel the damaged skins, rinse off the mold, and use what’s left."
How to Use
Onions are the starting point of many good things (okay, perhaps not ice cream…although maybe?), but to really make onions the star of a meal, try caramelizing them. You’ll find yourself adding them to dips, scattering them over side dishes, and even planning a week’s worth of meals around them.
Here are 7 of our favorite ways to make a meal out of caramelized onions:
- Turn them into a tart -- full-sized or mini.
- Or tuck caramelized onions into a flakier crust, like in a savory pie or a galette.
- Pair them with potatoes: Your scalloped potatoes and mashers will never be the same.
- Use caramelized onions in pasta dishes with roasted vegetables or even yogurt.
- Add them to salads with corn or spinach.
- Use caramelized onions in an elegant no-fuss, savory pudding.
- Pair them with mushrooms -- either in pierogi, or mixed into a dip. (And lest you say dip isn’t a meal, spread it on toast. Toast is definitely a meal.)
And it's worth noting that although different kinds of onions have unique characteristics, and certain types do tend to be used for specific applications, in a pinch, you can swap in whatever onion you have on hand.
