ONIONS

Onions are indispensable. We use them on a daily basis in sauces, soups, salads, stews, stir-fries and roasts just as our forebears did for thousands of years. They are one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. And while we may tug this underground bulb from the soil, it is not a root veggie. Peel an onion and you are peeling away its fleshy leaves packed with nutrients and the sugars that release their sweetness with long, slow cooking. Slicing raw onions can certainly be a tear jerker and there’s no easy solution. Over the years, cooks have devised many ways to prevent this, from freezing the onions to wearing goggles or holding their breath, but they are rarely completely effective. The best way to avoid teary eyes is to avoid bending over the onion while cutting it, and using a razor-sharp knife (with great care).

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Choose firm brown, white or red onions with no soft spots or blemishes.

HOW TO STORE THEM

Dry onions have a long life and are best stored with plenty of ventilation. If you keep them for a long time they tend to sprout, but you can still use the sprout and what’s left of the onion.

Spring onions (green onions/scallions) can be stored in a container filled with 2–5 cm (¾–2 in) water, covered with a plastic bag, and kept it in the fridge for about a week. Alternately, wrap them in damp paper towel and refrigerate for a week.

WHAT’S IN THEM?

One medium raw onion (about 90 g/3¼ oz) has about 130 kilojoules (31 calories), 1.5 g protein, 0 g fat, 5.5 g carbs (4 g sugars, 1.5 g starches), 1.5 g fibre, 12 mg sodium, 124 mg potassium, and a low GI and GL (estimated).

WHAT ELSE?

The distinctive flavour comes from sulphur compounds, part of a chemical armoury protecting onions from attack in the ground, and providing a savoury depth in our cooking pots.

HERO RECIPES

Trio of onions and herb salad with ricotta on toasted grain bread (here )

Chicken stock (here )

Lemon chicken with golden onions and green olives (here )