Cipollini onions

[digitS']

Have you tried them?

I believe it's been true in all of the last few years, the first new catalog in the mail box is from Dixondale Farms.

Now, there is nothing like a big slice of a mild onion in a sandwich. Most any sandwich ... have you tried it with peanut butter ? And, I'm all for diced onions, sauteed and in ... most anything !

What about a roast? Sure, you can use a big onion in a similar way. Overcooked, you will probably push it all to the side to enjoy the potatoes and carrots. Oh well, it adds flavor. But, what about cippolini onions?

I grew them once. They did super! But, they were hot, hot, hot. Dixondale describes them as mild ...? I see them advertised in up-scale food markets. There are 3 colors, I only tried the white and Dixondale says mild, mild, mild ...

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

I've grown the red and the white and I liked them. Mine were small, I don't know if that's typical. They were great keepers.

I remember them as mild. Not as mild as sweets, but not hot for sure. Maybe you grew them too close to your Ghost peppers.

 

[flowerbug]

Have you tried them?

I believe it's been true in all of the last few years, the first new catalog in the mail box is from Dixondale Farms.

Now, there is nothing like a big slice of a mild onion in a sandwich. Most any sandwich ... have you tried it with peanut butter ? And, I'm all for diced onions, sauteed and in ... most anything !

What about a roast? Sure, you can use a big onion in a similar way. Overcooked, you will probably push it all to the side to enjoy the potatoes and carrots. Oh well, it adds flavor. But, what about cippolini onions?

I grew them once. They did super! But, they were hot, hot, hot. Dixondale describes them as mild ...? I see them advertised in up-scale food markets. There are 3 colors, I only tried the white and Dixondale says mild, mild, mild ...

Steve

no we've not grown those here, but if you like liver and onions i think peanut butter, onion and mayo sandwiches taste a lot like liver and onions.

as for scraping aside from a roast. no way, ever! i love cooked/roasted onions in about anything.

and this hot you mention. i don't mind how hot they may get, we grow sweet onions most of the time because that is what Mom will eat. i'll eat the rest myself, like the garlic, it can't ever be too hot. cooking takes care of them if they're too too hot, for fresh eating i'd just use less and dice more finely if i didn't want them to dominate whatever it was i was putting them in.

 

[digitS']

I may be spoiled.

Sweet onions do well and keep well, in my basement. They give me little trouble and are available for months.

Non-sweets? It's been years since I have bothered to leave some scallions from sets to mature into bulbs. I've had some red onion bulbs that I don't believe qualify as sweet. That's a definition based on tests and not really a variety. There probably isn't an agreed-upon standard, although I could be wrong.

I haven't ordered plants from Dixondale for quite awhile. Even greater ease of growing when I did! And, I miss their Stirling variety. I don't think that is a sweet. It's a super keeper!

I'm not a great fan of walking onions but DW is happy to use them. First will come the chives and we are likely to still have shallots and then we progress through the scallions to the sweets at any stage.

We will likely buy some onions from the store - scallions for stir-fries, likely a few sweets in late winter but then we are back to our garden varieties.

The shallots are absolutely great to have. They aren't very productive but if someone has enough, they can be available year-round. At least they can be here. Oh yeah! I missed the leeks.

I don't know why I'm looking at cipollini again except that they could really fill a gap, small and good keepers. And, I must have overlooked that some rate them as mild. I was disappointed. Maybe, I should try the red or yellow ...

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Do you grow shallots from seed? How long do they take till harvest time?

Mary

 

[digitS']

I sow seed and plant sets, @ninnymary .

The seed requires a full season and they have been the only one of the onion family that I direct sow in the garden. April, they can take the cool weather.

Sets don't require so much time. Just be sure to not eat all of the harvest! I have no reason to doubt that they can be grown just like garlic, here or in most location. I hold onto them rather than planting in the fall. They take winter storage well - then, they go out the earliest of anything.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

I'd like to start using shallots more. I'm going to have to read up on when to plant here. I don't see sets in nurseries though.

Mary

 

[digitS']

. I don't see sets in nurseries though.

I'm not sure if it isn't just about as easy to plant seed ... I have seen little packets of shallot sets, somewhere ... I believe that it was at Lowe's.

Baker Creek has seed for one they describe as "gorgeous." That's not a very gorgeous picture but cleaning up the bulb could have helped.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

I'm not sure if it isn't just about as easy to plant seed ... I have seen little packets of shallot sets, somewhere ... I believe that it was at Lowe's.

Baker Creek has seed for one they describe as "gorgeous." That's not a very gorgeous picture but cleaning up the bulb could have helped.

Steve

The only one I see in Baker Creek is Zebrune and it's not described as gorgeous. Is it perhaps another company?

Mary

 

[digitS']

Hmmm

"Gorgeous heirloom French eschalion or “banana” type shallot ..."

https://www.rareseeds.com/zebrune-shallot-onion/