Description
Enhance your dishes with the bold flavour of our red onions, perfect for adding a vibrant crunch to salads, sandwiches, salsas, or caramelizing for a sweet and savoury addition to any recipe. Available in our Local Farm Shop in Bellaghy, Mid Ulster Area.
🧅 Red onions are a vibrant and flavorful variety of Allium cepa, known for their striking purplish-red skin and crisp white flesh tinged with red. Here’s a breakdown of what makes them special:
🌈 Appearance & Texture
- Medium to large bulbs with papery red-purple skin
- Firm, crunchy flesh with alternating white and purple rings
- Juicy and coarse texture when raw
🍽️ Flavour Profile
- Mildly pungent with a sweet and slightly spicy kick
- Flavour mellows and sweetens when cooked
- Ideal for raw dishes like salads, salsas, and sandwiches
🧬 Nutritional Highlights
- Rich in antioxidants like quercetin and anthocyanins
- Good source of vitamin C, fiber, and sulfur compounds
- Low in calories and fat
🥗 Culinary Uses
- Eaten raw for color and crunch in salads and burgers
- Grilled, roasted, caramelized, or pickled for deeper flavor
- Popular in Mediterranean, Mexican, and Indian cuisines
🌍 Regional Varieties
| Variety | Origin | Notable Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Tropea | Italy | Sweet, aromatic, used in jams |
| Turda | Romania | Mild, traditionally braided for markets |
| Red Creole | USA (South) | Spicy, used in Cajun dishes |
| Red Baron | Europe | Mild, deep color, salad favorite |
🧪 Fun Fact
Soaking sliced red onions in cold water for 10–15 minutes can reduce their sharpness without losing their crunch!
