Green onions in straw.

Sally asked me to write about onions. Onions are used in so many ways from seasoning our steaks to exciting a salad. Many of us think "an onion is an onion." But there is still time to grow some onions in your garden.

There are several ways to classify them. The most visible is color which is yellow, white or red. There are also long or short day varieties or they will have a hard or soft classification. The hard types are winter keepers and usually are strong and pungent. The soft types do not store well, but are some of the mildest varieties we have today.

When allowed to grow in their normal fashion, onions will grow about half the season sitting on top of the ground. They do grow larger bulbs this way. Pulling dirt around onions actually reduces bulb size and increases bulb rot in wet weather conditions. I like to add sand to the soil around mine. This keeps the soil loose around the plants.

You can tell an onion is ready to harvest when the plant falls over. This is important for longer storage. One should sort those plants which are still upright and use those first because their storage life is shorter.

You can also inspect some bulbs for maturity by checking the skin. If the skin is dry the onion is mature.

Drying onions usually takes two to four weeks in a dry ventilated area. After drying, clip the tops off one to one-half inch above the bulb. You should then store your onions in a cool, dry place. They are best stored in a mesh bag so air can circulate around them. Do not allow your onions to freeze and remember that cool and dry with low humidity is best for storage.

There is nothing like a large slice of this pungent vegetable on your hamburger. Sharing this vegetable with your friends will leave evidence of its flavor just by the aroma. Inhale – Yep, Onion!