The Onions Are Ready!
One of the best things about this time of year is harvesting so many great crops in the garden - this week we have lots of beautiful farm-grown onions and shallots.
The onion, Allium cepa, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Onions are hardy, easy to grow, and can be grown in a variety of soils and climates. We plant a lot of onions every year. I use them in my cooking, and in sandwiches and salads. I also share many of them with my daughter, Alexis, and my grandchildren, Jude and Truman. Earlier this week, my gardener, Ryan McCallister, picked the onions from my new garden here at the farm and they are truly some of the best we've ever grown.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Such a bounty of gorgeous fresh onions – it’s one of our favorite crops to pick.
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- Here at the farm, our onions are started from seed in the greenhouse and then planted outdoors in the garden bed.
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- Here is what one of our onion plants looked like in late April just before planting it in the ground.
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- This year, we planted two large beds for red onions, white onions, yellow and brown onions.
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- And here they are in May – just one month after planting. The onion, Allium cepa, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. They are planted in spring when temperatures are still a bit cool. Early planting gives the onions time to develop tops and store energy for the bulbs.
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- In June, the plants are much more developed and the leaves are quite tall, bright green, and sturdy.
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- By July, the onions are starting to show through the soil, but they are still small and the top leaves are still very green.
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- Looking down, this is one of the growing onions.
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- Onions require 90 to 100 days to mature from seed, which is around four months. From sets, onions are ready to harvest after around 80 days, or just under three months. We picked a few onions for my summer vacation in Maine.
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- This week, the tops of the onion plants have fallen over naturally – an indication they are fully mature and ready to harvest.
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- Here, the onion leaves are also quite brown and dry. This happens at the “neck” of the onion, where the leaves meet the bulb, and signals that the plant has stopped growing.
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- Here’s Ryan after picking one of our largest onions. To pick, he carefully loosens the surrounding soil and then gently pulls the onion up by its top. It’s important to keep the stem intact to prevent the possibility of rot.
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- All these onions are in great condition. Ryan also keeps track of the varieties that grew well, so we know what kinds to grow again next season.
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- The red onions were also picked.
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- As well as the shallots. Shallots, Allium ascalonicum, are a member of the allium family, closely related to onions, garlic, and chives.
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- Shallots are smaller than onions, their skin is papery and coppery-pink, the flesh is pale purple and white, and the bulbs grow in clusters, similar to cloves of garlic.
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- Once all the onions and shallots are picked, Ryan brings them into the hoop house closest to my main greenhouse where they can cure. Curing is a process of preparing the onions for long-term storage. During the curing stage, the outer layers of the onions dry out, tightening around the bulb and creating a protective layer that keeps the onion firm and fresh for a longer time.
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- Some of the red onions had already been curing for a couple of weeks. Ryan removes the top layer of skin from the onion and clips the tops and roots.
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- The shiny skin should remain. He also lightly brushes off any loose soil before placing in a single layer on the shelf where they can continue to cure.
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- The onions need plenty of space for air to circulate, and can even be turned occasionally to make sure they dry evenly. Our greenhouse shelves are metal and have air circulating through, so this environment is Ideal. It is also warm in this hoop house – 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, dry, and out of the sun.
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- Ryan is careful when handling the onions, so they don’t bruise.
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- When cured and stored properly, a good storage onion will retain its eating quality for 10 to 12 months. I can’t wait to try them. How did your onions do this year?
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