Any onion experts here? I've got a question for you...

[LiberalHeart]

Seems like all the onions I buy lately are hot, over-powering sandwiches. "Sweet onions" aren't sweet. Vadalias used to be something I could count on to be so mild, I could eat them like apples, but no more. I've tried all the kinds the local grocery stores offer. No luck.

Is there a way to tame raw onion (i.e. calm down the heat without having to cook the onion)?

[flvegan]

1. I like red onions

Not so hot, nor over-powering. Just good, sweet onion-y goodness.

[LiberalHeart]

3. That's the most recent kind I've tried. Hot as hades.

[LeftyMom]

2. Could you slice them a bit thinner?

Onions get stronger flavor as they're stored. A new crop should come in soon, if I'm not mistaken. That should help a lot.

[LiberalHeart]

6. I never knew that age has something to do with the strength.

I chopped the onion into little bits tonight and used very few, but right now my mouth tastes like I ate the whole farm. And a few of the animals.

[wickerwoman]

4. Chilling them

works for me. I always put them in the fridge for an hour or so before I cut them. No tears and it seems to relax the heat a bit (at least while it's in my mouth.)

You could also try cutting them and then soaking them in cool water to crisp them up a bit before you eat them.

[grasswire]

5. here's a tip

You can slice the onion and then soak it in a dish of sugar water. Just a spoon of sugar to 8 oz or so of water. Half an hour ought to do the trick, and it will be very mild.

[LiberalHeart]

7. That sounds so logical!

I'm gonna go try it ... thanks.

[LiberalHeart]

10. It took double the sugar and a lot longer wait -- but it worked. Thanks!

[grasswire]

14. great!

And did you know that DU has a cooking forum? Whenever you have questions, there are lots of good folks over there.

[u4ic]

8. Can't help you there

I love super strong onions.

Unless they're straight from someone's garden, I often find store bought too weak.

[Robeson]

9. I.Hate.Onions.!!!....

...can't stand them. OK, flame away...

:hide:

[LiberalHeart]

11. flame, flame, flame

I'm having onions, feta cheese, and kalmata olives right now. So yummy. I'll follow it with some spicy V-8. Guess I have a salt craving going on.

[bicentennial_baby]

12. Kalamata, how I love you so....

My favorite olive....Oh yum :9

[LiberalHeart]

13. They're putting me in the poor house. ALWAYS have to have 'em on hand.

[lildreamer316]

16. OOOH!

Invite me over!!
That sounds SO good...but you know; I would SO have a glass of good white with that.

[philosophie_en_rose]

15. You could try growing your own.

Onions are surprisingly easy to grow, and little startup onions are only a dollar or two for a package of thirty or so.

Harvest them earlier and they'll be milder.

[trof]

17. OK. 1. The flatter the sweeter.

The more globe shaped it is, the hotter it is.
Don't ask me why, it just is.

2. Yellow are generally milder than white.
Reds are usually the mildest of all, but FLAT!
Not round.

3. Haven't seen any Vidalias in a while. Maybe out of season now. Can still find Texas Sweets, which are very nice.

Good onioning.
;-)

[BrotherBuzz]

19. Jinx! We agree!

One of the mysteries of the world, but it's true. :shrug:

[trof]

20. All I know is my mother-in-law passed this bit of culinary education

down to Miz t., and she told me, and it's true.
They're harder to get nice slices from, but they taste better if you're not going for the heat.
:shrug:

[BrotherBuzz]

18. Buy flat onions...

Round pointy onions tend to have more 'heat', while the flatter one of the same variety are sweeter. I don't know why, but that's what I've observed and experienced.

[badgerpup]

21. The strong hot ones are good keepers too...

The sweet ones, like vidalias don't keep for beans.
Think you want to look for the Vidalias or the Sweet Spanish...and those are seasonal.

I've dehydrated yellow onions to keep on hand.
These are the ones they sell in the 10lb bag at Costco and they are sooooo good that way you could eat them just like potato chips...until your stomach says
"Hey, fool! Those are ONIONS you're snarfing down so merrily...