Central Asia is considered the birthplace of red onions. It was brought to Crimea in the 19th century from Portugal. Over time, a Crimean variety was bred in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which is considered a delicacy. For its breeding, varieties of red onion were imported from the island of Madeira. The rest of the domestic varieties were derived from the onions of the Eurasian continent and have a peculiar taste of sweetness with bitterness.

Red is a type of onion, belongs to the Onion family. It has a red-violet skin color, its flesh is phyletic-white. Bulbs can vary in size and shape. Taste without the bitterness characteristic of common pale varieties. In some varieties, it is sweetish, thin, it all depends on where it grew up and how it was looked after. It also depends on how rich it will be in vitamins and minerals.

 

Central Asia is considered the birthplace of red onions.

Useful information. The sweet and semi-sweet red onion grows only in the warm climates of the southern regions on enriched soil. Due to the content of vitamins A and group B, as well as microelements: magnesium, cobolt, chromium, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, necessary for the body, its consumption protects against colds and inflammation.

Growing regions

In each region, such red onions are grown, the varieties of which are suitable in terms of ripening in specific weather conditions. For example, in the northern regions, where summer time is not so long, it is better to plant early maturing varieties with sevkom or seedlings. In central Russia, mid-season varieties, also grown from seedlings, ripen well. In the southern regions, varieties of any ripening period, sown both with seeds and grown from seedlings, are suitable for cultivation. Some gardeners in southern cities grow two crops per summer, shifting planting dates.

The best varieties and description

The most famous varieties of red onions grown in household plots and dachas can be attributed to the most famous - Yalta, which is a flattened large purple onion. The taste qualities of onions grown on the slopes of the Crimean mountains distinguish them from the same ones obtained in other regions. This is due to the composition of the soils, where there were once ancient volcanoes.

However, red onions can still be grown in different regions and will also have a sweet, subtle flavor. You can get a good harvest by following the laws of crop rotation, choosing correctly the varieties that will grow in this region, as well as following the rules of agricultural technology.

 

Red Baron

In addition to Yalta, early ripening varieties include:

  • Crimson ball - looks like a ball with a lilac color. It is grown by the seedling method. Its ripening period is approximately 3 months after seed sowing. To speed up the harvest, it can be grown by seedlings. It has a semi-sharp taste. Not stored for a long time.
  • Red Baron has a dark red scale, medium size, with a refined semi-sharp taste. Good for transportation. It can be stored until next spring, subject to the temperature regime in the store. Ripens in 90-95 days. It is planted with both sets and seeds. Gives a lovely feather to greenery. It has established itself as well cultivated in the Far North, which means that it lends itself well to adaptation in this region.
  • Red Semko F1 is an early ripe hybrid that ripens in 70-75 days. The taste is semi-sharp, high marketability. This seed onion has turnips weighing from 100 to 200 grams.
  • Retro early maturing, harvests on the 90th day. The bulbs are large, slightly flattened, have a red tint. Refers to large varieties of red onions.
  • Carmen is a kind of early maturing variety of Dutch breeders. Has a rich purple or dark red husk color. The head sizes are medium, but some grow up to 120 grams. Feather greens in spring have a height of up to 30 cm. It is cultivated by gardeners of different climatic zones, in this regard, different ripening periods: from 65 to 90 days.
  • Black Prince is a variety of domestic selection. Suitable for growing in northern regions. The shape is round. The husks of the bulbs have a characteristic purple color. The pulp tastes sweet. Harvesting - 3-3.5 months after planting. Contains many vitamins and minerals. Stored for a long time, almost all winter.
  • Red Braunschweig - medium early, the color of the husk is purple. It is grown both from seedlings and from sowing seeds. Harvesting - in 70-100 days, depending on the sowing method. The bulb has a round-flat shape, resistant to fungal diseases. The taste is slightly spicy.

Mid-season varieties:

  • Greatful - refers to mid-season varieties. The ripening period is 112 days. All fruits are the same size. Good and long shelf life.
  • Campillo F1 is a hybrid variety, as indicated by the letter next to the name. Like all hybrids, it has a pronounced taste, has a spicy-sweet taste. Purple. Mid-season ripening. Uniform large bulbs. The ripening period is up to 4 months. Requires drying in the beds in September, early October. Ripening is required for 1-2 weeks in a ventilated area. Stores well. Onions are resistant to diseases such as fusarium wilting and rot.
  • Braunschweig - medium ripening, good taste.
  • Danilovsky 301 - mid-season ripening, domestic selection. The shape is flattened. The taste is semi-sharp, closer to sweet. Resistant to peronosporosis. Well stored and transported.

Sweet red onion varieties are mainly used as salad varieties, most of them are grown in the southern regions. The best varieties of this category are the representatives of the onions described above: Crimson Ball, Greatfull, Campillo, Retro, Black Prince. The most famous red, which is called Yalta, has an unsurpassed sweetness taste. A striking representative of the sweet variety is Red Baron, which grows well in the Moscow region. It is popular with chefs who use it in salads. A distinctive feature of Red Baron from other onion plants is that it does not stain the products that make up the salad red.

 

Black Prince

Attention! Onion fly loves these varieties. She lays eggs on the vegetable, on the bottom of the onion. She also likes the taste.

Difference between red and regular varieties

There are red, white and yellow onions, which differ not only in the color of the skin, but also in their taste and shelf life. Onions with reddish-purple colored scales contain anthocyanin, which gives color to the vegetable. The shade of color changes with the acidity of the growing environment. It becomes intense, bright in an acidic environment, dirty purple shades appear in an alkaline environment.

The decorative quality of onions is most evident in salads with sour sauces, therefore red-purple varieties are also called salad varieties. Unusual colors are attractive to buyers, which is why the reddish onion and turnip sets have a higher commercial value than the white or yellow onion plant.

 

It cannot be said which bow is better.

There is no telling which bow is better. They are all grown for consumption and used according to individual preferences. The yellow onion plant is believed to have a balanced taste with a moderate aroma. In cooking, it is used wherever there is heat treatment: soups, stews, casseroles. In salads with yellow onions, you can miscalculate a little if you come across a specimen with a "strong" taste.In this case, it is better to pre-pickle it.

White onions have a sweet taste, which differs from the yellow congener. Suitable for fresh vegetable salads. The legendary French onion soup is made from white onions.

Red bows can be called Crimean by the people. These onion plants are not recommended to be heat treated, as in this case they lose their taste and color. Many consumers prefer representatives of this type of onion, especially Carmen onion, since it contains the flavonoid quercetin, which has medicinal properties, and more. Vegetable growers like this representative of red onions for its unpretentious cultivation and long-term storage without loss of taste. Speaking about the benefits, it is believed that red onions contain more vitamins and minerals in comparison with their relatives of white and yellow colors.

It is clear that onions of any varieties and colors should always be present in the human diet. The agricultural technology of growing this vegetable is simple, every summer resident and gardener can get a good harvest. Onions for people are both food and a home doctor.