Just Onions (Onions)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Onions
Date:	30/10/02 (2132 review reads)
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Onions, spring onions shallots welsh onions, bulb onions, leeks are all members of the allium family. Cooking onions last night I thought perfect subject to write about.
I love onions, all sorts of onions cooked eaten in every way.
Onions are a cheap vegetable to buy, fairly easy to grow, but when they are so cheap is it worth it?
I grow onions as a salad onion then I can go and pick one fresh from the garden when I need one.
I have grown sets main crop, but they do take up a bit of room.
There are a lot of onion varieties, White lisburn, giant fen globe, sturton, red onions, like mammoth red onion, or long red Florence.

How to grow your onions
Onions can be grown from seeds or sets (tiny baby onions to grow on to big onions.) It does take a long time for a seed onion to mature in to a large bulb onion for a stew.

Bulb onions are frost resistant they like a cool temperature to start growing. Sow seed in a prepared bed in the spring sow the seed thinly about ½ inch 1cm deep and thin them out as they start to grow, giving each onion bulb room to develop. Onions are easy to care for needing only to be weeded and watered when dry. Pick the tiny onions and use as a salad onion.
Red onion rings brighten up a green salad and look very attractive.

Plant sets in early spring, March April time you need to push the sets into the ground with just the tips of the onion showing above ground .The bigger you want your onions the more growing space you need to give them 1.1/2 inches apart for small ones 4 inches apart for big ones. These sets set in the spring you can harvest late summer. If you wish you can set onions in late summer /autumn for harvesting in early summer.

If you leave your onions in the ground too long the centre of the stem goes ?woody?. I sometimes leave an onion to flower in the garden its flowers attract bees like them and they attracted a white butterfly or two to feed on the nectar.
r>When you harvest leave them to dry
Then you can store them by placing them in layers in a box in a dry place well ventilated and frost-free or plat the leaves and store them by hanging them in adry well ventilated place.


An onion recipe
Onion soup good and warming on a winter?s eve.

3 medium onions
2oz/50g butter/marge
1oz /25g plain flour
13/4 pints 1 litre vegetable stock
Salt pepper

Slice the onions into rings, melt the butter/ marge and fry the onions until browned mix in the flour stir well until browned add the stock and seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes

Slices of French bread 2 oz50g cheddar cheese 1oz25g Parmesan cheese

Toast slices French bread grate and combine the cheese grill the cheese on the toast till brown then place the toast slices in bowls spoon the hot soup over the top
Serve for a winter?s supper



Sage and onion bread

Sage and onion bread make up a bread mix 1 lb 500g flour ½ pint milk and yeast add 2 tablespoons chopped sage and a 1 onion chopped fried in butter. Leave to rise till double in size.
Make into loaves or as I prefer into rolls the loaves take about 30 minutes to cook the rolls about 15
Then cook in a hot oven 200 c, 400 f, mark 6

Onions contain vit C vit B6 low in cholesterol and contain potassium.
Onions provide health-promoting phytochemicals, which might help guard against chronic illnesses. Contain a lot of a flavonoid called quercetin has organosulphur which has been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and are low in calories

Thanks for reading L.O.L Mary