Vidalias Are Here

Your tip for May 24, 2006 - VIDALIAS ARE HERE

Vidalia onions, available only from mid-May until mid-June, are the most famous sweet onions. To call their onions Vidalias, growers must register with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, use one of about 30 seed varieties authorized by that department and live within a 12,000-acre, 20-county region where the soil and climate are just right. But the farmers who want to get top dollar for their Vidalias by having them certified as "extra-sweet" go to greater lengths.

While Vidalias are inherently sweet, Hall said, there are no guarantees that every onion will have the low concentration of pyruvic acid that makes it taste sweet.

Pyruvic acid is the pungent compound that makes your eyes tear up when you slice into an onion and gives you "onion breath."

Pyruvic acid masks the taste of the onion's sugars. The National Onion Labs test soil and onion samples to determine the exact amounts of nutrients that need to be added to the soil, in the exact sequence and time frame, to get the highest sugar levels with the lowest pyruvic acid levels.

Then growers are given detailed GPS maps of their fields showing them where each nutrient must be increased. Hall said some growers have perfected their soil to the point that 100 percent of the onions from an 80-acre field can be certified as having a pyruvic acid level below 3 (on a scale of 1-10). That's what they call "extra-sweet."

Growers who make the effort get onions that are both sweeter and heavier -- an important feature for a hand-planted, hand-picked crop that sells by the pound. "One of the growers, before he started working with us, knew exactly what his truckloads of onions would weigh," Hall said. "His first year after we started working with him, every one of those trucks was ticketed for being overweight."

The "certified sweet" and "certified extra-sweet" stickers on Vidalias allow you to buy onions without disappointment, Hall said.

Dangle them Suspend Vidalia onions in old, clean panty hose with a knot tied between each onion, to cushion them and allow air to circulate around them. Use for up to an additional month.
Chill them. Wrap individual onions in paper towels and refrigerate; don't let them touch anything else. Use within two weeks.

Freeze them. Freeze chunks of peeled onions on pan, then store in freezer bags. Texture will change; best used in cooked dishes.

HOT & SPICY SALAD Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from Certified Extra-Sweet Vidalia Onions and the National Onion Labs at cesonions.com.
1 large cucumber
1/2 sweet onion
1/2 small red chili pepper
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper

Wash cucumber and cut in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds with teaspoon. Slice cucumber and onion into 1/3-inch thick pieces. Place in salad bowl. Using gloved hands, halve chili pepper and remove seeds; chop into tiny squares. Add to bowl and top with vinegar and sugar; add salt and pepper to taste. Stir; chill at least 10 minutes or overnight.

SWEET ONION SALMON DIP Makes 6 appetizer-size servings. Can be made ahead and refrigerated, but the salmon is very salty and makes the dip taste more salty as it chills. To decrease salty taste, add more sour cream.
Adapted from Certified Extra-Sweet Vidalia Onions and the National Onion Labs at cesonions.com.
6 oz. smoked salmon
1 small sweet onion
1/2 bunch fresh dill
3 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 cups sour cream
2 drops Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Pepper

Cut salmon and onion into very thin strips. Mix with dill, mustard, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Process in food processor for several short bursts, leaving mix chunky. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

SWEET ONION SALSA Makes 1 cup. Can be refrigerated up to three days.
Adapted from Certified Extra-Sweet Vidalia Onions and the National Onion Labs at cesonions.com.
4 medium plum tomatoes
1 small sweet onion
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place seeded and quartered tomatoes, coarsely chopped onion, seeded and diced jalapeno pepper, finely chopped garlic clove, chopped cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in food processor and pulse until pureed.

Transfer to bowl; add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

ONIONS ROASTED ON A BED OF SALT Makes 4 servings. The salt keeps the onions from wiggling and also absorbs the juices so they don't burn in the bottom of the dish. The cooked onions have just a hint of salt and a delectable sweetness -- like jam, with the skins acting as the jam pots. Serve as an elegant side dish with steak or chicken.
Adapted from New York Times Syndicate.
Sea or kosher salt
4 medium onions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In baking dish large enough to hold onions snugly, spread 1/4-inch layer of salt. Set onions, unpeeled and untrimmed, in salt, root ends down, pressing lightly to create indentations so they sit upright. Roast until charred and very tender when pierced with knife tip, about 2 hours. With paring knife, cut little hat off top of each onion -- the hole should be large enough to insert a fork. Serve at once.

BROILED CARAMELIZED ONIONS Makes 4 servings. Because of sweet onions' high sugar content, they will burn if not carefully monitored.
Adapted from New York Times Syndicate.
2 large onions
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Cut onions into 8 wedges and place, flat sides down, on large plate. Sprinkle each side with half of sugar. In large skillet with heatproof handle (preferably cast iron), melt butter. Add onions, flat sides down; cook over medium-low heat, turning once, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Transfer skillet to rack about 10 inches below broiler; broil for 5 minutes, checking onions often and turning once. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, serve at once.

OVEN-FRIED ONION RINGS Makes 4 servings. This variation on a favorite snack food is much lower in calories and fat than the traditional, deep-fried version.
Adapted from New York Times Syndicate.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions
4 egg whites
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup dry white bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil rimmed baking sheet. Cut onions into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings.

In shallow bowl, mix lightly beaten egg whites and oil. In another shallow bowl, spread cheese.
In third bowl, sprinkle crumbs. One by one, dip rings into egg whites, then into cheese, and finally into bread crumbs. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning with tongs several times, until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; serve at once.

Source: Adapted from an article in Daytona Beach News-Journal, By KIMBERLEY JACE, Food Editor

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