Nourishments—

Vidalia Onions:

Nothing To Cry About

By Nancy K. Crevier

In the 2011 movie The Help, the main character, Skeeter, takes on a journalistic job of writing a homemaker’s help column, about which she knows nothing. She enlists her friend’s maid, Aibileen, to tackle the first question she is assigned: “When I’m chopping onions how do I keep tears out of my eyes?”

“Shoot! That’s easy,” answers Aibileen. “You tell her to hold a match stick between her teeth.”

“Is it lit?” Skeeter asks…

Onions have a way of bringing tears to the eyes. If it were not for the glorious flavor onions impart to a multitude of dishes, no doubt the human race would long ago have given up on cooking with them.

It is the reaction from a sulfur compound produced when a raw onion is cut that makes chopping onions a tearful task. The compound reacts with tears in the eye to form sulfuric acid, and that is what produces the burning feeling. That in turn produces more tears, as the eyes work frantically to flush away the acid.

Everyone, including The Help’s fictitious character Aibileen, has a favorite method for avoiding onion-induced tears. Chill the onion before cutting it, to slow the reaction. Cut the onion under water. (That one has always mystified me. Am I under water with the onion, or is just the onion? Doesn’t that get a big slippery?) Hold your breath while chopping an onion. Use an ultra thin and sharp knife. Wear goggles. I have discovered that wearing contacts seems to keep the effects of sliced onions at bay.

There is one sure fire method, though, to avoiding the teary onion scene — the kinder, gentler onion. This month, the 2012 Georgia Vidalia onion crop will arrive in the market.

Vidalia onions are a variety of onion grown only in 20 counties in the state of Georgia, and available only from April to November. (Vidalia onions stored in controlled atmospheric facilities, in use since the 1990s, have extended the season somewhat.) The sandy soil and moderate climate of the counties in which the Vidalia is grown combine to create an onion that is higher in water and sugar content than other onions. The ultra-sweet onion is advertised as being sweet enough to eat out of hand like an apple, and guess what? That mild onion is likely only to make you cry with delight, rather than burst into tears.

Other sweet onions are grown, even from the same varieties of onions, in other parts of the United States, but only the Vidalia is federally certified for its sweet qualities. The Vidalia onion, named for the town of Vidalia in which they were first sold in the 1930s, is Georgia’s Official State Vegetable.

Vidalia onions, with a pale brown skin and a pure white flesh, bruise easily, so handle gently and store in a manner in which they will not be jostled against each other. Old nylons or pantyhose can be used to store Vidalia onions. Place onions in the leg of the nylon, and tie a knot between each. Suspend the onion-filled hosiery in a ventilated space that is cool and dry. Then, just cut off an individual knot when you need an onion. The onions should keep well in this manner. Vidalias can also be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in paper towels, for several weeks.

If you plan to use the onions only for cooking, feel free to chop them and freeze them for future use. The texture will not be pleasant, when thawed, for use as a raw ingredient.

Like utility onions, the Vidalia can be baked, broiled, fried or grilled. Its mild flavor makes it a favorite for stuffing. Use them in casseroles, or blend into a salad dressing. Because they are so sweet, Vidalia onions are prized for use, raw, on sandwiches or in salads.

High in vitamin C and fiber, Vidalia onions are also a source of calcium.

Chop away — Vidalia onions are on the way. And that’s nothing to cry about.

(Incidentally, Aibileen’s polite answer to Skeeter’s question? “No, Ma’am.”)

Vidalia Sweet Onion and Pear Salsa

from Morris Farms in Uvalda, Ga.

2 cups chopped Vidalia onions

1 cup diced unpeeled pear

½ cup chopped roasted red pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

¾ teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl combine Vidalia onions, pear, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve grilled with seafood, chicken or hamburgers. Yields 6 portions (3 cups).

Vidalia Green Bean Salad

from the Vidalia Onion Committee and Vidalia Onion Bros

2 cups fresh green and/or yellow wax beans

2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia onions

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/3  cup raspberry vinegar

3 Tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 cups Boston lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

½ cup chopped roasted peanuts

Fill a medium saucepan three-quarters full of water; bring to a boil. Add beans, cook until nearly crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water until beans are cool. Cut in half lengthwise, then in 1-inch pieces. Place in large bowl along with Vidalia onions and cilantro; set aside.

In the same saucepan, combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate until cool, about one hour.

On four serving plates arrange lettuce. Using a slotted spoon place onion mixture over lettuce; drizzle slightly with vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts. Yields 4 servings.