Sweet Onions

By:   Carl Hanson

Sweet Success

Delicately flavored sweet onions are ideal for cooking, particularly in recipes calling for raw or caramelized onions.

Don't Cry for Me

Slicing into raw onions releases the sulfur that causes those stinging tears. Grown in low-sulfur soils, sweet onions contain considerably less sulfur than other onions, so they aren't tearjerkers. And they're also less likely to cause indigestion.

Thin Skinned

Thin-skinned sweet onions are more fragile than other varieties. They require a little extra care to prevent bruising. Sweet onions do best in the refrigerator, wrapped in paper towels to keep them dry. Tightly wrap cut onions in plastic wrap.

Home Sweet Home

Two of the best known sweet varieties are Vidalia, grown in Georgia, and Walla Walla onions. Originating in Corsica, the Walla Walla variety came to Walla Walla, Washington, at the turn of the 20th century.