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7 Types of Brown Onions

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Brown onions are also called yellow onions. People prefer them because of the balance in sweetness and pungency they offer. But besides their sweet-pungent flavor, yellow onions are a top choice for caramelization, and they are pretty much all-purpose. If making a meal and you do not have the recommended type of onion in the recipe, you can switch to brown onions. Also, if you need onions milder than white onions, you can switch to brown onions. You do not have to stick to one brown onion type every time.

There are many types of brown onions out there, and you can spice things up by choosing a different one each time you cook.

Below, we discuss 7 types of brown onions, their flavor profile, ease of growth, where to find them, and much more.

harvested brown onions in a box with a cloth

Boiling Onions

Boiling onions are primarily boiled whole in stews, soups, braises, and similar meals, hence their name. Boiling onions are round and small-sized; they measure about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. They come with multiple layers of dry, flaky skin, which hides a red, white, or yellow-to-brown flesh.

Flavor Profile

Raw brown Boiling onions are crisp, juicy, and pungent. However, after cooking, they become tender and less sharp.

Where to Find Them

Boiling onions are available in specialty grocery stores and farmers’ markets in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Ease of Growing

Boiling onions are pretty easy to grow. So, it is no surprise they are available throughout the year. Farmers harvest boiling onions when immature. So, within 60 to 90 days, you should be ready to harvest your boiling onion bulbs.

Unique Traits

The skin of boiling onions readily falls off when you touch it.

raw Cipollini Onions on the table cloth

Cipollini Onions

Cipollini onions have a saucer-like shape. They have thin, papery skin, which covers a flesh that can be brown/yellow, red, or white. The average Cipollini onions measure between 1 and 2 inches in diameter when harvested.

Flavor Profile

Cipollini onions have high residual sugar content, making them a top choice for caramelization. Of course, due to their sugar content, they are sweet but not as much as shallots.

Where to Find Them

You can find Cipollini onions in Italy, their country of origin. You can also get them in the US through online stores like Instacart.

Ease of Growing

When exposed to full sun in well-drained, fertile soil, Cipollini onions germinate within 12 to 14 days. Their harvesting time depends on the season you plant them.

If you plant Cipollini onions in warmer seasons, they become harvest-ready earlier than cooler seasons. So, if you cultivate your Cipollini onion seeds in spring or summer, expect them to be harvest-ready in 75 to 150 days. But sow them in fall or winter, and the harvest time is around 210 to 240 days.

Unique Traits

Cipollini onions have one of the highest residual sugar content amongst brown onions. Beyond that, their fiber content is pretty impressive.

Egyptian Onions in the field

Egyptian Onions

Egyptian onions, also known as Egyptian Walking onions, top-set onions, or tree onions, are a Welsh onion hybrid. They have small-sized bulbs, which may be brown or red. People may call them Egyptian Walking onions, but these onions are not from Egypt, and they do not walk. They get the walking part of their name from the stems, which travel up to 24 inches as they grow.

Flavor Profile

Egyptian Walking onions have a similar flavor profile to shallots. They are sweet and tender like shallots, but they are slightly sharper.

Where to Find Them

You can get Egyptian Walking onions in specialty grocery stores and farmers’ markets across the United States. You may also find them in online stores.

Ease of Growing

Egyptian Walking onions are pretty hardy in zones 3 to 10. So, if you plant them within these zones, they should thrive. While Egyptian Walking onions need full sun for optimal growth, they only need an average, well-drained acidic soil.

Egyptian Walking onions are resistant to juglone. So, if you decide to plant them beside a black walnut tree, there should be no problem.

Unique Traits

Unlike many other onion varieties, the bulbs of the Egyptian Walking onions grow at the top of the plant.

a pile of Maui onions sweet onions in the market

Maui Onions

Maui onions have white or light-yellow to brown flesh covered in thin, papery skin. They are typically small to medium-sized with a somewhat spherical shape.

Flavor Profile

Maui onions are pretty sweet and succulent. They have a mild aroma due to their low sulfur content.

Where to Find Them

Maui onions originated in Maui, Hawaii, and you can find them there. Apart from Maui, you can get Maui onions in grocery stores all over Hawaii. If you check online and specialty grocery stores, you might get them on the mainland.

Ease of Growing

Farmers plant Maui onions in the volcanic soil of Maui Island, which is unique because of its minimal sulfur content. So, you may be unable to grow them if you are not in Hawaii.

Unique Traits

While Maui onions are available year-round, there is a limited supply. The farmers barely have 400 acres to plant Maui onions, hence the limited supply.

a bunch of Spanish Onions

Spanish Onions

Spanish onions are about the size of a softball. They have thin, yellowish/brownish skin, covering their white, yellow, or brown flesh.

Flavor Profile

People love Spanish onions for their sweetness. When cooked or raw, Spanish onions are pretty sweet. But for the best taste, cook them lightly. Spanish onions are mild, thanks to their low-sulfur profile. But because their flavor is mild, you might destroy or lose their flavor if you overcook them.

Where to Find Them

You can find Spanish onions in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. But sometimes, grocery stores mislabel them as yellow onions. So, you may want to check a farmers’ market to make things easier for you.

Ease of Growing

Growing Spanish onions is not complicated. Plant the seeds in moist (not soggy), fertile soil and expose them to full sunlight, and they will thrive. It takes about 4 months for Spanish onions to be harvest-ready. When it is time to harvest them, the tops will go brown before falling off.

Texas Supersweet Onions

Besides their sweetness, people fancy Texas Supersweet onions for their size. Their bulbs are typically medium to large, weighing around 1 pound. Texas Supersweet onions have dry, papery skin with brown to off-white flesh.

Flavor Profile

The supersweet in Texas Supersweet typifies the flavor of this brown onion type. Apart from their sweetness, they are soft, mild, and crunchy.

Where to Find Them

Of course, you can find Texas Supersweet onions in Texas. But if you check online stores, you might get them in other parts of the US.

Ease of Growing

Texas Supersweet onions need just about 10 to 12 hours of sunlight daily for optimal growth. You should plant them in well-drained, fertile loam soil for the best results. Growing Texas Supersweet onions should grow with ease if you provide the conditions above.

Unique Traits

Compared to other short-day varieties, it takes more time for Texas Supersweet onions to mature.

Vidalia Onions in a wooden bowl on a table

Vidalia Onions

Vidalia onions originated in Vidalia, Georgia. They have a saucer-like shape and are pretty popular because of their sweetness.

Flavor Profile

The soil in Vidalia has little or no sulfur, so Vidalia onions have low sulfur levels. As a result, they are mild. Besides being mild, Vidalia onions are succulent and sweet.

Where to Find Them

Vidalia onions only grow in Vidalia, Georgia, and 20 other Georgian counties. So, you can find them in farmers’ markets and grocery stores in those places. But you might find them in online stores such as vidaliaonions.com, Instacart, and sweetonion.com.

Ease of Growing

You cannot grow Vidalia onions outside Vidalia and the 20 other Georgian counties we cited earlier. So, that dents the ease of growing them. Beyond location, Vidalia onions thrive in moderate conditions. They thrive in well-drained, sandy-loam soil with temperatures around 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

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