VIDALIA ONION BROS Storage and handling

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Storage and Handling

Unlike common onions, Vidalia's are very perishable. They need plenty of Tender Loving Care to keep them at their best.

Vidalia Onions have a higher water and sugar content than storage onions, making them susceptible to bruising, and therefore, must be handled with care.

Since Vidalia onions are available only a portion of each year, sweet onion lovers buy them in quantity (40 pounds or more), and store them for extended enjoyment. The key to preserving Vidalias, and to prevent bruising, is to keep them cool, dry and separated. The following are several favorite methods of storage:

Always remove onions that are bruised.
In the refrigerator, wrapped individually in paper towels. This can preserve Vidalia Onions for several months.
On elevated racks or screens, not touching and in a cool place.
Vidalia Onions can be chopped and dried in the oven. Use the lowest setting and remove when thoroughly dry but not brown. Store at room temperature in airtight containers.
In netting or sheer pantyhose. Tie a knot between each Vidalia and cut above the knot when you would like one. Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.
Vidalia Onions can also be frozen, either whole or chopped. Freezing changes the onions' texture, so frozen onions should be used for cooking only. Whole frozen Vidalias can be baked.

Vidalia Onions have a distinctly different flavor - milder and sweeter than any other onions, so they are excellent in salads and sandwiches where hot onions would be overpowering. Use thick slices on hamburgers or with grilled steak.
Vidalia's add a distinct sweetness to any dish. They are, however, delicious all by themselves, raw or baked.

Place a whole, raw, unpeeled Vidalia Onion in the refrigerator and chill for approximately one hour before serving, or peel and cut into slices and place in a bowl of ice water for approximately 30 minutes and then drain on paper towels. Either of these methods will help bring out a sweeter flavor when eating raw Vidalia's.
To bake a Vidalia onion, peel, then cut off the top and bottom to make it sit flat. Place a pat of butter on top, and microwave for 7 minutes on high, or wrap securely in foil and bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until tender.