Sweet Onion

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Onions, Leeks & Garlic

Sweet Onion

(Scientific Binomial Name: Allium cepa)

Selection Information

Usage: Raw in salads, barbecued on shish kebabs, in stews and soups, on sandwiches and in meat dishes.

Selection: Sweet onion varieties include Walla Walla Sweet, Texas SpringSweet and Texas 1015 SuperSweet. Good-quality sweet onions will be firm, free of blemishes or mold spots and have even-colored, light-yellow skin.

Avoid: Avoid product that is soft, wet-skinned, bruised, has dark blemishes or spots of mold.

Seasonal Information

Walla Walla Sweet Onions are available late June through mid August.

Texas SpringSweet Onions are available mid-March through June.

Texas 1015 SuperSweet Onions are available mid-April through June.

Sweet Onion Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 cup, chopped sweet onion (160g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64	Calories from Fat
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 6mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Sugars 7g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 0%	Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 4%	Iron 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Source: PMA's Labeling Facts

Sweet Onions are very low in saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They're also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and an excellent source of Vitamin C.

Onion Tips & Trivia

Many people mistakenly believe that Walla Walla onions are white. While they are white when immature, this confusion comes from misleading labeling. True "Walla Walla Sweets" are a yellow sweet onion grown in Walla Walla Washington. Sweet, white onions are available from Walla Walla, but the name is only a description of where they were grown.
The origin of the Walla Walla onion has been traced back to an Italian-type onion common on the island of Corsica. The first Walla Walla onions were grown by Peter Pieri in the late 1800's.
Sweet onions are thin-skinned, juicy and are therefore very fragile and do not keep as long as regular onions. To increase their storage life, put the onions in a pair of pantyhose, tie a knot between each onion and hang in a cool dark place. When you need an onion, cut it free.
Onions and garlic have been cultivated for 6,000 years and have a strong reputation of curing or preventing many diseases.