What I'm Growing: Onions

Now that the seed list is done and all of my seeds are here, I've decided to do a detailed rundown of all the varieties I'm growing of each vegetable this year. If nothing else, it will help me plan! First up is.....onions!

These are Southport Red Globe Onions, which many think to be the best keepers of the red onions. It is a medium-sized, long day onion and supposedly has a crisp and mild flavor. This is an heirloom variety that can be traced back to 1873 and originated in Southport, Connecticut. Its earliest known seed catalogue appearance was in Nebraska Seed Company's 1898 catalogue where it was sold for a nickel a packet. I'm pretty excited about this onion mainly because its original roots are so close to where I live now. One of my closest friends lives in Southport and it's only about a 3 hour drive from my apartment.

The second variety of onions that I'm growing are Walla Walla Sweet Onions. These were chosen mainly because there's almost nothing I love more than a sweet yellow onion. They aren't the best storers, but I know I'll be able to easily use them up before they start to go bad. This cultivar originated on the island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy and can be traced back to the 1800s. It is said that a French soldier found the sweet onion seed and brought it to Walla Walla Valley in Washington state (hence the name Walla Walla Sweet Onion). These yellow onions are supposedly about 90% water and have half the sulfur content of most other yellow onions. The sulfur is what normally causes people to tear up while chopping onions, so it'll be interesting to cut into these later in the season.