Ingredient encyclopedia · Vegetables
Where most savory recipes begin. Onions are storage organs full of sugars, which is why patient heat turns them from sharp to deeply sweet — caramelization is just those sugars being coaxed out.
Raw: sharp and sulfurous. Sweated: mellow. Caramelized: sweet as jam. Yellow is the all-rounder; red for raw; sweet varieties for frying.
Handle with care
Prep & knife work
·
Sharp knife = fewer tears; a dull blade crushes cells and releases more irritant.
·
Root end holds the layers — keep it on while dicing.
·
Soak raw slices in cold water 10 minutes to tame the bite.
At the stove
Cooking methods
Sweating (low, translucent, no color)
Caramelizing (40+ honest minutes)
Flavor friends
Pairs well with
Shallots (finer, sweeter)
Fennel (anise note, similar texture)
Keep it fresh
Storage & shopping
Storage
Cool, dark, dry, ventilated — and away from potatoes, which release moisture and gas that spoil both.
Shelf life
Whole: 4–6 weeks. Cut: 7–10 days refrigerated, wrapped.
Seasonality
Storage onions year-round; sweet spring onions in late spring.
Shopping tips
Heavy, firm, papery skins. Avoid green sprouts and soft necks.
Nutrition
Quercetin, vitamin C, prebiotic fiber.
One of humanity's oldest cultivated plants; Egyptians took oaths on them, and every cuisine builds on some version of onions-in-fat.
Put it to work
Recipes with onion
Weekend Shakshuka
Middle Eastern · Breakfast
French Onion Soup
French · Dinner
Weeknight Coq au Vin
French · Dinner
Huevos Rancheros
Mexican · Breakfast
Roasted Tomato Soup
American · Lunch
Spaghetti Bolognese
Italian · Dinner
Classic Lasagna
Italian · Dinner
Beef Tacos
Mexican · Dinner
…and 59 more in the cookbook.