Vidalia Onions - New Georgia Encyclopedia (2024)

FAQs

Are Vidalia onions ready yet? ›

Vidalia onions are typically in season from late-April through August/September each year.

Vidalia sweet onion seeds, just before they're planted. These seeds can be planted anywhere, but to grow a Vidalia sweet onion, they must be planted within the 20-county growing region in Southeast Georgia. Vidalia onion seeds are dropped by specialized planting equipment into the prepared soil.

Vidalia onion season typically runs from the middle of April through early September. You can count on onion availability in early spring; how long they'll be in the stores is totally dependent on each year's crop. With fewer onions harvested, you may have trouble finding them in the stores come August.

tl;dr : Vidalia onions are grown in southeast Georgia (USA) near the city of Vidalia, GA.

Vidalia Onion Storage & Prep Tips

Wrap sweet onions separately in paper towels or newspaper and store in the refrigerator. Store sweet onions in the legs of clean, sheer pantyhose by tying a knot between each onion and hanging the hose in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.

Vidalia Onion Substitute

If you can't get your hands on Vidalia onions, you can use any type of sweet onion instead. For instance, Walla Walla and Maui are both perfectly acceptable alternatives.

In 1982 Delbert Bland and his late father, Raymond, began growing Vidalia® sweet onions on just five acres at Bland Farms. Today, Bland Farms is the largest producer of the Vidalia sweet onion volume annually.

The crop is named for the community of Vidalia, which is located in Toombs County and known as the "Sweet Onion Capital of the World."

TRANSPLANT PRODUCTION AND DIRECT SEEDING. Short-day onions can be grown from both seed and transplants; however, the majority of onions are grown from transplants. Transplant production begins in late summer with land preparation followed by seed sowing in September.

According to the Martha Stewart site, Vidalias originate in the state of Georgia, and the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986 codified into law that only onions grown in 20 specific counties in Georgia can legally use the name.

What is the sweetest onion in the world? ›

Vidalia Onions have developed an international reputation as the “world's sweetest onion.” Their mild flavor is due to the unique combination of soils and climate found in the 20 county production area. Through Federal regulation, the Vidalia Onion growers developed Federal Marketing Order No.

The Vidalia Onion is certainly unique in all the world. The sugar content of this onion is comparable to that of an apple, or a bottle of cola. It's a mild, succulent onion that is delicious raw on hamburgers, sliced alongside your steak, in a garden salad, or just eaten raw.

And the Walla Walla soil and growing conditions give that onion a more complex flavor profile "that tells you that this is an onion," he says. The Vidalia may be milder or sweeter, but to Dean, flavor makes the winner. Ultimately, it may be availability that dictates which onion you buy.

"Vidalia onions have a sweeter taste because of their high water and natural sugar content, compared to other yellow onions which have a milder taste when cooked," says Riner.

Onions should be harvested in late summer, prior to the onset of cool weather to prevent spoilage or damage from the direct sun. Bulb onions should be harvested approximately 100 to 125 days after planting. Unlike the green onions, bulb onions will communicate with you and let you know when they are ready for picking.

Sweet Onions – Walla Walla and Vidalia are the most common kinds of sweet onions. These onions lack the sharp, astringent taste of other onions and really do taste sweet. They are fantastic thinly sliced and served in salads or on top of sandwiches.

Spring onions (also called scallions, bunching onions and salad onions) are a delicious addition to a whole range of dishes, from summer salads to stir-fries. Harvested before the bulbs start to swell, they have a milder flavour than mature onions, and the whole plant, bulb and leaves, can be used in cooking.