A BIT ABOUT ONIONS

A BIT ABOUT ONIONS

Onions are used so often in cooking that their benefits are often overlooked, yet there's so much more to them than meets the (teary) eye!

Onions are highly versatile root vegetables that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and bursting with flavour. What's not to love? As well as Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 and sulphur, onions contain fibre and add flavour to dishes like curries, lasagne, soups, stews and everything in between. 

Let's take a closer look at that most humble of kitchen staples: the onion.

Cooking onions

Onions come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The most common are yellow, white and red. Red onions are great for adding a touch of color to your dishes, and their mild flavour makes them an ideal addition to salads and dips. Chives, shallots and leeks are also part of the onion family, while spring onions have a lovely mild and sweet flavour.

A great many people enjoy eating raw onions because they're both crunchy and juicy - however, raw onions can be difficult for some to digest, leading to bloating and gas (not to mention bad breath!) But there are so many ways to cook onions, from roasting, sautéing and caramelizing to sweating, grilling and boiling; each method brings out different flavours and textures. And they don't just need to play a supporting role in your main courses. Recipes such as onion soup and this onion and Camembert tart put the humble onion in pride of place.

Cry me a river

Despite the flavour that onions add to any dish, I used to avoid using them wherever possible because I hate the stinging eyes and inevitable tears that come with chopping them. Onions release enzymes when they are cut and create a gas that then mixes with the tears in your eyes to form sulphuric acid. This irritates the eyes and is the reason we cry when chopping onions. I've looked for solutions to this age-old problem for years - cooling them in the fridge first, breathing through the mouth, singing while chopping (much to the delight - or was it disdain - of my housemates), and slicing down towards the root. After trying everything under the sun, my favourite method for chopping onions without too much crying is this: peel the onion, then wet the knife and the onion and begin slicing. This way, the enzymes are released straight into the water droplets on the knife and the onion rather than your eyes. The real key, however, is speed: the quicker you chop, the less tears you're likely to shed!

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." Michael Scott, The Office

There's a whole range of superstitions, folklore and old wives' tales around onions. Some say that putting half an onion in your sock will ward off the common cold, while young ladies were known to place half an onion under their pillows to dream of their future husband. If you throw your onion peelings on the floor, it's said you are throwing away your luck. You can even predict the weather with onions, according to this old English saying:  "Onion skins very thin, mild winter coming in; onion skins thick and tough, coming winter cold and rough." So next time you have trouble peeling an onion, make a mental note to get your thermals out! 

Anything I've missed? Let me know in the comments section! 

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