Onion

Closely related to Garlic, Onions come in a wide variety, yet they are so close in taste they can be substituted for each other.  Listen for tips on how to make it easier to cut and prepare all types of onions.

Music composed and performed by V. Karaitis

Transcript

Hey!  Thanks for listening!  I’m Chris Wagenti, and this is Who Gets It, Naturally.  Music was composed and performed by V. Karaitis.  I’m not selling anything, diagnosing anything; offering any cures or replacing your doctor.  I’m just sharing my passion for natural products.  If you’re pregnant, please consult your doctor before trying anything new.  Everyone is different so you may need to tweak the recipes a bit to work for you.  Always start with the least amount of essential oils…you can always add, you can’t take away.  Remember, these remedies don’t last forever, you need to reapply as needed.  If you are allergic to any of the ingredients I use, please substitute for something you’re not allergic to.  Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it.

Life has been crazy.  LOTS of stuff going on.  All at once.  A few episodes ago I mentioned that new treatment my doctor introduced me to.  Well, I’m about 5 weeks into a 10-week program.  I’ll dedicate a whole episode to it when I’m done.  For now, let’s just say I’m floored!  In a good way!  Like with life, there are ups and downs, but overall, so far, so great!  Part of the downs, during this time the weather has been, oh, what’s the word I’m looking for… schizophrenic.  Seriously.  One day it’s 70 degrees, the next day it’s 32.  One day, I left in the morning to get to the j-o-b and it was pleasant out.  When I left to go home 8 hours later it was snowing.  The storms have been intense and fast-moving.  And somehow, all passing through at night…waking me up at 3am because my knees hurt so bad from the drastic change in barometric pressure.  I don’t know if you’ve heard about all the craziness lately…hail, sleet, tornados, wild fires…all a little too close to home.  Oh, yeah, did I mention how all the unseasonably warm weather has been messing with all the vegetation?  Pollen has been off the charts.  So, I’ve been dealing with lack of sleep, pain intensity on a major rollercoaster ride, allergies freaking out big time and a little bit of stress here and there.  The website I used to schedule my social media posts decided to change their terms of service.  They actually think it’s ok for them to be able to control my accounts…adding posts, deleting posts, going through my contacts.  I don’t think so.  In case you haven’t noticed, I suck at posting on social media.  Trying to fit that into the craziness.  I’m still trying to figure out the best way to share recipes.  And, there’s a few other things brewing that I can’t talk about yet.  Never a dull moment!

So far this season I’ve talked about Healthy Eating, a bunch of different herbs and Garlic.  Today I want to talk about a cousin of Garlic, Onions.  Onions are also closely related to scallions, leeks and chives, so I’ll touch on those as well.

There are over 500 varieties of onion, and they are grown all over the world.  

According to Britannica, this information can be found at www.britannica.com/plant/onion-plant, QUOTE:  “Most whole onions are slightly dried before marketing, making their skins dry and paper-thin. Onions are also available in various processed forms. Boiled and pickled onions are packed in cans or jars. Frozen onions are available chopped or whole, and bottled onion juice is sold for use as a flavouring. Dehydrated onion products have been available since the 1930s; such products include granulated, ground, minced, chopped, and sliced forms. Onion powder is made by grinding dehydrated onions and is sometimes packaged in combination with salt. Dried onion products are used in a variety of prepared foods and are also sold directly to the consumer for use as condiments.

There are a number of commercial varieties and cultivars of onions available:

• Globe-shaped onions may be white, yellow, or red. They have strong flavour and are used chiefly for soups, stews, and other prepared dishes and for frying.
• Bermuda onions are large and flat, with white or yellow colour and fairly mild taste. They are often cooked and may be stuffed, roasted, or french-fried. They are also sliced and used raw in salads and sandwiches.
• Spanish onions are large, sweet, and juicy, with colour ranging from yellow to red. Their flavour is mild, and they are used raw and sliced for salads and sandwiches and as a garnish.
• Italian onions, or cipollini onions, are flat and are red, white, or yellow in colour and often have a mild, sweet flavour. They are used raw for salads and sandwiches, and their outer rings make an attractive garnish.
• Shallots are a small, angular variety of onion. They are typically white with a brown or red skin and have a mild flavour. The green leaves can also be eaten.
• Pearl onions are not a specific variety but are small round onions harvested when 25 mm (1 inch) or less in diameter. They are usually white and pickled and used as a garnish and in cocktails. 
• Spring onions are small white onions that are picked when between 25 and 38 mm (1 and 1.5 inches) in diameter; the tops are sometimes left attached. They are used to flavour foods having fairly delicate taste, such as omelets and other egg dishes, sauces, and peas. They are also served boiled or baked.
• Green onions, also called scallions, are young onions harvested when their tops are green and the underdeveloped bulbs are 13 mm (0.5 inch) or less in diameter. Their flavour is mild, and almost the entire onion, including top, stem, and bulb, is used raw in salads and sauces, as a garnish, and as a seasoning for prepared dishes.”  END QUOTE.

Kind of like how Peppers produced Capsaicin to protect their seeds, Onions have their own defense mechanism.  Very basically, they absorb sulfur from the ground while they are growing.  When you cut into an onion, the sulfenic acid and other enzymes are released.  They mix to form a gas that irritates your eyes, causing them to tear (your defense mechanism to protect your eyes from irritants).  There are a few things you can try to reduce this interaction.  I have not intentionally tried any of these yet, but may have inadvertently used one or two.  Supposedly, if you chill the onion before cutting it can slow down the release of the compounds that make your eyes tear.  Another thing you can try is to use a sharp knife.   This reduces the amount of tearing into the onion, which intensifies the release of the enzymes and sulfenic acid.  Also, cutting in the same direction as the layers is supposed to help.  Leaving the root on the onion while you cut it is also supposed to work.  I’ve heard of these things before.  Something I haven’t heard before is putting the onion in the microwave for about 10 seconds is also supposed to help.  Then there’s the common sense approaches, put a fan next to you to blow the gas away from you; where goggles; rub lemon juice on the blade before you start; make sure the area is well ventilated.  

You can pretty much use any kind of onion for whatever you’re cooking…they can be substituted for each other.  There are some varieties that are not as pungent as others, so they are better for raw uses or for onion rings, like Sweet Onions.

Let’s say you need raw onion, like to put on a sandwich or in a salad, and all you have is a Yellow Onion that’s pretty pungent.  Slice it up how you’re going to use it (slices, chunks, whatever), then put the slices in a bowl full of ice water for about an hour and a half, then drain.  If you don’t have an hour and a half, you can put the pieces in a strainer and run cold water over the pieces for about a minute, making sure to move the pieces around to rinse everything.

When sauteing Onions, use low to medium heat.  Using high heat can make the Onions bitter.

To eliminate “Onion odor” from cooking utensils, the sink, your hands, use Lemon juice.  If you just ate a bunch of raw Onions in your salad, you can eat some Parsley, rinse your mouth with Lemon Juice or chew a Citrus Peel to combat “Onion breath”.

Wow…that’s a long list the “con” column…are Onions worth the hassle?  Oh, yeah!  Onions are healthy powerhouses!  They are high in Vitamins A, C and E; a good source of dietary fiber and folic acid; contain minerals necessary to bone health including calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K; low in sodium; supply calcium and iron; are fat-free; loaded with antioxidants including Quercetin; and contain organosulfer compounds.  So? Antioxidants reduce free radicals which cause oxidative stress to your cells, which weakens your immune system and helps trigger all sorts of issues, including wrinkles.  Quercetin can reduce the risk of some diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  

The benefits of Onions don’t stop there.  Studies have also shown that eating onions can prevent gastric ulcers; reduce atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attacks; can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis; helps prevent cataracts; fights against cancers such as breast, colon, ovarian, lung, bladder, brain and gastric; have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial properties; and so much more.

I once heard that if you had the flu, to cut an onion, put half of it on a dish and leave it on your nightstand when you go to bed.  Overnight, the onion will draw the virus in.  In doing my research for this episode, there are several sights that say this is a myth, yet they do site studies that prove Onions have antiviral and antibiotic properties.  One of the last times I had the flu I tried this.  When I woke up, I was feeling a lot better, and the onion was black.  Just sayin’. 

The National Onion Association offers the following storage suggestions, which can be found at www.onions-usa.org/tips-onion-myths-faqs/faqs/,  

QUOTE:  “Dry bulb onions should be kept in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. Do not store whole onions in plastic bags. Lack of air movement will reduce their storage life. Sweet onions have a higher water content than storage onions, making them more susceptible to bruising, and a shorter shelf life than storage varieties. One way to extend the shelf life of a sweet or high water content onion is to wrap each one in paper towels or newspaper and place them in the refrigerator to keep them cool and dry.” END QUOTE  They also suggest to store whole peeled onions in the refrigerator.  

You can store chopped or sliced Onion in the fridge if it’s in a sealed container for about a week to 10 days.

The Britanica Quote I started off with included Scallions, or Green Onions.  A Leek looks like a Scallion on steroids.  Even though they have a much milder flavor than most onions, Leeks are rarely used raw.  They’re big in French cuisine…used in soups, stews and quiche. 

Chives look more like Scallions, but they don’t have a bulb, and are more mild.  Also, Chives, even though they are a cousin of Onions, Scallions and Leeks, are considered an herb instead of a vegetable.  Chives are mostly used raw, and usually as a garnish.

Lot’s of impressive Pro’s to use Onions, raw and cooked.  But there are a few Con’s to take into consideration.  Yes, they’ll make you cry when you cut them, but there are off-sets.  Yes, they can leave an odor on your kitchen utensils, countertops, cutting boards, your breath, but Lemon and Parsley can counter that.  Yes, you can be allergic to them.  They are so commonly used, you’d probably know if you are by now, but stay aware if you’re not sure.

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