Allium fistulosum
Onion, Flavor King is excellent fresh or sauteed. Versatile roots grow up to 1 in. Dia. Sow in average soil in full sun after danger of frost in spring in frost-free areas, sow in fall.
- Container friendly
- Direct sow
- Harvest in 71 days
- Seedlings emerge in 7 to 14 days
- Full sun
1.2g of seed
- Pick green onions (scallions) when plants reach 6-8″ tall, while the stalks are still white at the bottom and fairly thin.
- When harvesting onion bulbs, about 100 days from sowing, bend the tops over when about ¼ of the tops have already fallen over and turned yellow. After a few days, pull the bulbs and cover them with the foliage to prevent sunburn.
- Allow onions to dry in the garden for up to a week, then cure them indoors in a warm, dry place with good air circulation for 2-3 weeks. Then cut off the foliage, leaving 1″ above the top of the bulb.
- Clean the bulbs by removing dirt and any of the papery skin that comes loose when you handle them.
- Put bulbs in mesh onion bags or old pantyhose and store in a cool, dry location. Check occasionally for any wet spots or mold and remove any damaged bulbs immediately to protect the rest.
- All onions lose their pungency when cooked. To neutralize the flavor, sauté, parboil or microwave the onions briefly before adding to your recipe.
- To minimize the discomfort of onion tears while chopping onions, work fast (but carefully!) and work closely to the kitchen fan. You can also use a food processor.
- Besides fresh storage, small onions may be canned by the hot pack method.
- Chopped, sliced or grated onions may be quickly dried in a food dehydrator and stored in air-tight containers on the pantry shelf.
- Small whole onions may also be pickled, while larger ones may be used in mixed pickles or to flavor cucumber or tomato pickles.