The most common fresh onions are scallions, called green onions in some parts of the country. They are essentially seedling onions, long, slender, and supple. Their white parts may be sweet or hot, but their hollow bright green leaves are generally sweetΓÇöa fine substitute for chives. There are white, yellow, and red scallions, but the flesh of most is white, no matter what the skin color. Scallions are available year-round. (Tip: When a recipe calls for shallots and you are fresh out, combine the white parts of scallions with an equal amount of garlic.) Bunching onions are a different type of green onion. They may look like scallions at first glance, but scallions have slightly rounded bulbs at the roots, while bunching onions are straight as an arrow. There are Japanese and Welsh bunching onions. Both produce meaty stalks that are superb in cooking, especially grilled or broiled. The Japanese use only bunching onions in cooking. Their flavor is slightly more bitter than common scallions. For any scallions or bunching onions, select those with the crispest leaves with no yellowing or tears, and with shiny, bright, clean stalks. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Sweet onions are mostly grown during the winter in warm climates. They are full-size but do not keep well. Sweet onions also tend to be juicy, and their moisture content adds to their perishability. Here are the Vidalias, Granos, Granexes, and Mauis you can eat raw with pleasure in spring. (So-called Bermuda onions are in this group too.) Washington StateΓÇÖs Walla Wallas are in season in July and August. Use crisp sweet onions in salads and sandwiches and as a garnish. Sometimes they are referred to as slicing onions, in contrast to cooking onions, which follow. Due to their sugar content, sweet onions caramelize beautifully when simmered, but be careful that they do not scorch. However you use them, do so within a few days of purchase. Select only firm, crisp, unblemished onions and store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
