Onions

We try to have some form of onion available every week of our CSA program, from May through February, whether it’s a bunch of green onions, a spring onion, or a fully cured red onion. Alliums are a kitchen staple that are always nice to have on hand. Generally, an onion is an onion, and you can use the different types interchangeably when cooking, though you may notice slight differences in intensity and sweetness. During the early season, you’ll receive fresh onions that lack those paper skins. As the weather cools, our onions will be brought in to cure. The onions you receive in the late fall and winter will be fully cured and store well. Check out our Onion Guide for more on the different varieties we grow!

Featherstone’s Onion Guide

Spring Onions

We overwinter a mix of red and white onions in our tunnels for harvest in May CSA boxes. These onions will be small, fresh, and we often bunch them with the greens attached (which can also be used similar to scallions). Best kept in the refrigerator in a container. Wait until just before you use them to rinse off any residue.

Green Onions

Also called scallions, these are young onions harvested before they have the chance to bulb up. We grow these in the early summer to hold us off until our white onions bulb up. Enjoy fresh in salads, on top of soups or bowls, or grilled for a savory side. I like to keep my green onions in a little cup of water in the fridge (root side down) with a bag over the top to prevent the greens from wilting.

White Onion

White onions have a very strong onion flavor and contain very little sugar, making them an ideal onion for fresh garnishing (this is the type of onion that's commonly on top of tacos!). They make for excellent salsa and can also be used for general cooking, but will not caramelize due to low sugar content. These generally do not store for very long (1-2 months max), and should be kept in the fridge.

Red Onion

Similar to the white onion but less intense, red onions are commonly eaten raw due to their mild flavor. These make great (and pretty!) pickles, and work well on top of salads and sandwiches. Just like the white onion, they can be used for general cooking, but will not caramelize well. Red onions can store for a while once cured (I’ve kept red onions into April!), but can take longer to cure than other onions.

Yellow Onion

This is your typical onion. Strong, potent flavor and an even sweetness make yellow onions very versatile, and the best choice for cooking low and slow due to their sugar content. These are great on the grill, make good salsas and sauces, and are the typical onion you see listed in most recipes. Yellow onions store well when cured to papery skins, though fresh onions should be kept in the fridge.