by: Steve Melton

Onions are absolutely one of the most delicious and flexible commodities

you use in the kitchen. From savory steaming soups to satisfying

homemade salsa, onions play an important part in our daily cooking.

Flavorful appetizers from onion dips to salad dressing, main course

casseroles, even the onion focaccia bread accompaniment for dinner.

Buying onions is a simple task. Look for dry, papery skins with no soft

spots. You should also notice the absence of any strong odor. A good dry

onion will have very little to no smell to it at all. If it has a strong

onion odor the onion has already began to turn bad.

Varieties of onion include, Vidalia, Texas 1015, Red, Green, the Walla

Walla from Washington and Maui from Hawaii. Sweet onions such as Vidalia

and Walla Walla are mellow enough to eat raw, but they are excellent

"baked" on the grill and served with grilled steaks or burgers. Try them

in the oven too.

Caramelizing onions during cooking will give a rich sweetness to

recipes, enhancing kitchen aromas and have everyone asking, "What's for

dinner?" Followed shortly by "fabulous, superb and perfection."

Capt'n Salsa has an almost comical way of storing onions, but it really

works.

Grab an old pair of your wife's panty hose, cut off the legs. Now you

simply drop an onion down into the leg of the hose and tie a knot

directly above the onion. Repeat this process until each onion is

secured and hang the hose in a cool dry, well ventilated space, out of

direct sun light.

To remove the onion, simply cut the hose with a pair of scissors right

below the knot and the onion easily falls out. You should be able to

keep your onions for about three months.

Kosher salt is one of the best things to use to remove the smell of the

onion from your hands. Wash your hands using a little dish washing soap,

water and about a teaspoon full of salt. Any salt will do, I just like

the course texture of the kosher salt. Rinse your hands and repeat if

necessary.

Tears when you chop those onions?

How do you get rid of the tears? Here are a few simple suggestions to

"ease your pain."

You can place the onion in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes

prior to chopping or if you are in a hurry toss them in the freezer for

about four to five minutes. The cold will tone down the sulfur compound

in the juice of the onion. In addition be sure to use the sharpest knife

possible to expedite your chopping chores.