White onions, in contrast to the more familiar yellow onions, are not too common on our tables. Many housewives are in no hurry to purchase this vegetable simply because they have no idea where to add it and how to use it. What this white onion is, how it is useful for the body, and why it is worth including it in your diet, will be discussed in this review.

Description and features of the culture

White onion belongs to the same genus, which includes its yellow and red relatives. This is a two-year or three-year monocotyledonous plant of the genus Amaryllis (Allium), which includes more than a thousand species of plants, some of which are used by humans, and not only for food, but also for decorative and medicinal purposes.

Important! The assertion that white onions, unlike yellow ones, when consumed fresh does not cause halitosis, is untrue.

Difference from other species

The difference between white, yellow and red onions is not so great, but it is. If we talk about external differences, then, in addition to color, it is worth mentioning the shape and size: white varieties are always round, while yellow and red often have a flattened shape, in addition, white onions are larger than yellow ones.White onion is almost never very bitter, but its aroma is brighter and more saturated than that of yellow and red. For this reason, this variety is often used in its raw form (in salads, for decorating main dishes of meat or fish).

The foregoing does not mean that white onions are completely devoid of spiciness: sweet varieties are still more characteristic of red onions, white only has a more balanced taste. As for the chemical composition, the differences are not very significant, so it can be said that yellow, red, and white onion varieties are equally useful and valuable.

Did you know? The pain in the eyes and the active tearing that we feel in the process of peeling and slicing onions causes ... sulfuric acid, which is formed as a result of a chemical reaction between the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands and the specific enzymes and amino acids contained in the onion.

One can speak about the greater value of white varieties compared to yellow ones only because they are less often subjected to heat treatment, during which many vitamins and other biologically active nutrients decompose or neutralize. What white varieties clearly lose to yellow is stubbornness: it is difficult to save white and red onions.

Benefit

• Among the many beneficial properties that white onion has, it should be mentioned that this product:
• removes bad cholesterol from the body, lowers blood sugar and is therefore indicated for diabetes;
• possesses strong bactericidal, anthelmintic and antifungal qualities and is considered a natural antibiotic;
• improves the digestive and circulatory systems, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, participates in the process of blood formation;
• increases the body's resistance, including those indicated during an exacerbation of seasonal respiratory infections of a viral nature;
• It is the strongest antioxidant, has the ability to bind free radicals, which means to prevent premature aging and prevent the development of heart attacks and strokes;
• increases the level of hemoglobin, is used in the treatment of anemia and other diseases that occur against a background of iron deficiency in the body;
• improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails (has a whitening effect, is used to treat corns, remove warts and other skin problems);
• stops inflammatory processes, has analgesic activity, including with frostbite and burns;
• prevents the retention of excess salt in the body, prevents the occurrence of edema;
• improves the emotional background, raises the mood, eliminates the negative effects of stress, has an invigorating and tonic effect on the body;
• normalizes hormonal balance, stabilizes weight;
• provides prevention of atherosclerosis and thrombosis;
• contributes to the normalization of potency;
• stops the development of tumors, including malignant.

Did you know? The pain in the eyes and the active tearing that we feel in the process of peeling and slicing onions causes ... sulfuric acid, which is formed as a result of a chemical reaction between the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands and the specific enzymes and amino acids contained in the onion.

The rich vitamin and mineral composition of the vegetable makes it an almost indispensable product for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and the elderly.

Harm

White onion, due to its high content of acid, flavonoid glycosides and other substances with high biological activity, can cause irritation of the mucous membranes and nerve endings, as well as provoke an increase in blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbance. For this reason, there are conditions in which the use of this product should be treated with caution.

• This applies to people suffering from:
• peptic ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute phase (especially if the painful condition occurs against the background of increased acidity of gastric juice);
• intestinal disorders and bloating;
• gallstone disease;
• not diagnosed problems with the kidneys and liver;
• increased nervous irritability, insomnia, migraine attacks;
• arrhythmias and heart disease.

Important! Raw onions can only be given to children after they have reached the age of two.

The presence of food allergies is sometimes referred to contraindications when eating onions, however, in reality this product very rarely causes individual intolerance. But it has the property of blocking the production of histamine - one of the most powerful neurotransmitters of allergic reactions that develop when it comes into contact with a particular antigen. Therefore, onions with allergies are more likely to be beneficial than harmful.

Calorie content

By calorie content, white onions are almost identical to red and yellow varieties. 100 g of crude product contains approximately 42.33 kcal, that is, one medium onion (80 g) is slightly less than 34 kcal.For comparison, it is worth noting that the same amount (100 g) of other varieties of onions that we use most often contains:

• yellow (turnip) - 40 kcal;
• red - 42 kcal;
• green (feather) - 20 kcal;
• leek - 61 kcal;
• shallot - 72 kcal.

The best varieties

The varietal variety of white onions is not as extensive as that of yellow and red, however, about a dozen varieties and hybrids of this crop have already gained wide popularity in our latitudes. Here are some examples.

Alba

Refers to varieties of medium ripeness. From planting to harvesting, 110 to 130 days pass. The turnip has a regular rounded shape and a dense juicy structure. The fruits are large, their mass is 70–100 g, but with good top dressing and favorable conditions, it can be 180 or even 200 g.

The taste is semi-sharp, the aroma is bright. The advantages of the variety include high resistance to peronosporosis, weevils and onion flies, as well as good durability for a white variety: when the right conditions are created, the crop can be stored for 6 months. Among the shortcomings can be called low cold resistance: the variety is suitable for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia, in Ukraine and other countries with a warm climate.

Did you know? Despite its immense popularity in Europe, onions are much more eaten in Asia and Africa. So, for a year the average Frenchman eats 5.6 kg of this vegetable, the British - 9.3 kg, the Senegalese - 21.7 kg, and the Libyan - 33.6 kg!

Nevada

Nevada owes its appearance to the work of Italian breeders. Variety earlier than Alba, the full ripening period is approximately 3 months. It grows well in open ground in the midland of the European part of Russia, which for white varieties of onions is already considered a significant advantage.Turnip is distinguished by beautiful glossy skin of bright white color and regular rounded shape. The size of the bulbs is small - the mass is 50–80 g, but among the advantages of the variety they note a high yield. The pulp is juicy, medium sharp. For long-term storage, the variety is not suitable, but if you try hard, you can save the crop for 5 months.

Comet F1

A hybrid created by Dutch breeders from Nunhems. Ripening period is late, 4–4.5 months from the moment of planting. In regions with cold and short summers, it can only be grown under film. Also, for good ripening, onions need a lot of light.

The advantages of the hybrid include good germination, high yield and excellent commercial qualities - the same size (small, on average 50–70 g), the correct round shape, beautiful white skin color.

To taste, this onion is sweet, juicy and crispy, therefore it is mainly used for the preparation of salads. The plant is strong, grows quickly, has a high immunity to root rot and fusarium. Another important quality of the hybrid is its relatively good keeping quality: the crop can be stored for up to six months.

Snowball

Perhaps this variety can be called the most popular. In appearance, the bulbs really resemble snowballs, white, round, and at the same time quite large: the mass of fruits ranges from 100-150 g.

Ripens quickly, approximately 100 days after planting. The taste is excellent, the pulp is tender and almost not sharp, well suited for the preparation of salads. The advantages can also be attributed to high productivity (from 1 m² you can collect up to 6 kg of turnip), relatively good resistance to neck rot and downy mildew.

The opinions of gardeners differ regarding the keeping quality of the variety: some argue that the Snowball is well kept, others insist that it is almost impossible to preserve the crop for more than three months. Among the shortcomings, it is worth mentioning the high requirements of the variety for lighting and poor adaptation to regions with a cool climate.

Growing Features

From the point of view of agricultural cultivation, white onion differs little from its relatives with a golden skin, although, admittedly, this species of the genus Allium, due to its milder taste and aroma, is less likely to repel harmful insects and pathogens, and therefore it is more often sick and requires more thorough care.

Otherwise, white onions, like onions, can be grown in two main ways:

• from chernushka (the so-called onion seeds) - a two-year option;
• from set - an annual option.

In the second case, it is necessary to have planting material available - sowing, which, in turn, is obtained after growing the seeds.

Onion planting dates

The answer to the question of when to plant onions depends on several factors, including:

• varieties of vegetables (frost resistance and ripening time play a decisive role);
• climatic conditions;
• cultivation method (open ground, greenhouse - heated or unheated).

The most frost-resistant and early varieties can be planted in the winter. With this method of planting, the time is chosen so that, on the one hand, to exclude the possible germination of planting material, on the other hand, the seeds or seeds have time to adapt to the soil. Depending on the climatic zone, such events are carried out from the end of October to the end of November - approximately 2 weeks before the first real frosts.

But more often, onions are planted in the spring. To do this, you need to choose the time when the soil has already warmed up well, but still remains wet after the snow melts. In the southern regions, this is the end of March or the beginning of April, in the middle lane - 2-3 weeks later.

Optimal conditions

For planting, it is better to choose an open, well-lit and blown area. The soil should be fertile, loose and have good water permeability. The best option is loam or sandstone. Acidic soils are not suitable for onions, the soil reaction should be closer to neutral (pH level in the range of 6.5–7.0).

Before embarking on a planting, the bed should be dug well, complex fertilizers should be applied, and if necessary, lighten the earth by adding sand and wood ash. Seeds or seeds are pre-soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Recommended landing pattern:

• seed - thick, depth up to 3 cm, distance between rows - 25 cm;
• set - with an interval of 15 cm between individual specimens in a row and aisle of 25 cm, the maximum depth is 5 cm.

Did you know? The maximum amount of onions is grown in India and China, and in total this crop is cultivated in 175 countries. Interestingly, wheat - the world leader among crops - is cultivated in no more than six dozen countries.

Crop rotation

Crop rotation, that is, the correct alternation of crops in the garden, can greatly simplify the care of plants and increase their productivity. For white onions in this regard, you need to know the following:

A good neighborhood will also help improve productivity. It is good to place the onion bed near strawberries or cucumbers, planting beets, lettuce, radishes or tomatoes nearby is also a good option.

White Onion Care

Like any other vegetable crop, onions need several conditions for development: watering, top dressing, as well as protection from weeds and possible pests.

At the beginning of the growing season, the garden should be watered regularly. In the dry period, such a procedure should be carried out daily, but even with cloudy weather (in the absence of rain) it cannot be performed less often 3-4 times a week. Closer to the time of harvest, watering is drastically reduced, and during the last few weeks it has been completely stopped.

Fertilizers should be applied immediately before watering and do not carry out this procedure at the end of the growing season. From organic fertilizers, onion responds well to mullein, henhouse or manure (1 cup per 10 liters of water, the resulting solution is enough for 3 m²).

Mineral fertilizers per 10 liters of water at the same flow rate:

• nitrogen (urea or ammonium nitrate - 30 g);
• phosphoric (superphosphate - 20 g);
• potash (potassium chloride - 20 g).

Important! Onions ripening in moist soil are poorly stored, so if harvesting is carried out during the rainy season, dug bulbs should be used immediately.

You can also use complex mineral fertilizers for onions and garlic, breeding them according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fertilization scheme - every 7-10 days, depending on the condition of the soil. Onion beds are important to weed regularly, removing weeds. This procedure not only allows you to save nutrients in the soil for a vegetable crop, but also protects it from fungal diseases and pest attacks, which are weeded by many weeds.

Use of onions

White onions, along with yellow and red, are widely used in cooking and traditional medicine, and these areas can sometimes be successfully combined.

In cooking

Typically, white onions are eaten fresh.You can put it in a salad, sprinkle it with herring, pickled fish, kebab or kebab just removed from the charcoal, or simply garnish a sandwich with several rings. In addition, white varieties are suitable for stuffing (chopped meat or vegetables are used as the filling), as well as grilling in whole or in fragmented form.

Another area of ​​product use is stewing and inclusion of various warm creamy sauces. By the way, many recipes of the famous French onion soup suggest the use of white varieties as softer and more fragrant as the main ingredient.

Did you know? Bow — a good honey plant, and, unlike many other plants that are popular with bees, it retains a large amount of nectar even in extreme heat. Onion honey has a dull light color, but neither in taste nor in smell is associated with the plant from which it is prepared.

In folk medicine

From ancient times, traditional healers used onions:

• as first aid for insect bites - as an anesthetic, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine;
• for the treatment of acne and other skin problems, including furunculosis and even some types of lichen (the vegetable was rubbed into the pulp and applied to the problem area as a mask or compress);
• to relieve pain symptoms with burns and frostbite;
• as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of wounds and abscesses;
• to get rid of corns (the onion was baked, grated, mixed with any oil and received a healing ointment);
• in the therapeutic treatment of respiratory diseases (especially effective in combination with honey);
• for the treatment of otitis media (the bulb was steamed in a water bath, put in gauze and used as a compress);
• with diseases of the joints and muscles, including rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis, gout (onion juice as a grinding-in).

Harvesting and storage

Since the ripening time for different varieties of white onions can vary greatly, the harvest time should be determined not by the calendar, but by the state of the plant itself, making also an adjustment for the genetic characteristics of the variety - early, mid-ripening, late.

It happens, especially in regions with a cool climate, that by the end of summer the onion bed remains green, although, taking into account the time elapsed after planting, the ripening dates have already come. In this case, it is necessary to slightly accelerate the process of onion reaching full maturity so that the harvest can be completed before the rainy season begins.

Important! The biological maturity of the onion comes at a time when its aboveground part dries up and falls to the ground.

It is easier to do this with the help of forks, carefully bringing them under the root neck and slightly lifting it up to undermine the root. After this procedure, the plant must be left for several days in the ground so that all the nutrients remaining in the arrow pass into the bulb. Since the white onion is initially not very stubborn, it is important to collect it on time, since both unripe and overripe bulbs are practically not stored (the first one has an open and thick neck, where bacteria easily penetrate, the second one starts to peel off the husk, which leads to a similar problem).

Harvesting is always necessary in dry weather, and it is desirable that the day be sunny. The onions removed from the ground should be carefully cleaned and sorted out: those specimens that have damage, bruises and other defects are best used immediately, they are not suitable for storage. The next step is drying. It is impossible to save onions without this procedure. If the days are sunny, the crop can be left directly on the ground, laid out in one layer and periodically turned over. The second option is to put the onions in a well-ventilated place. Usually the process takes from 7 to 10 days.

Important! Unlike potatoes, onions are undesirable to store in the cellar. A closed balcony or attic is better suited for it, where humidity is lower.

Fully prepared for storage onions are laid out in cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, wicker baskets, fabric bags or polypropylene nets (a prerequisite is good ventilation, that is, a sufficient number of openings in the container) and placed for storage in a dark and necessarily dry place. onions - + 1 ... + 3 ° C, but even under such conditions, white varieties will not be able to save until spring. In order to extend this period as much as possible, the crop must be periodically checked and ruthlessly removed those instances on which the first signs of damage appeared.

White onion in its chemical composition and useful properties is not inferior to yellow, but at the same time it has some taste features, using which an experienced hostess can successfully diversify the menu. To grow this culture is not so difficult, you just need to choose the right variety for your region, however, keep in mind that white varieties are stored worse than yellow varieties, so they need to be planted in such a way that the crop can be used for 2-3 months after collecting.