Spring Onion vs Green Onion - Tips Bulletin

Many people often wonder, “Are spring onions and green onions the same thing?” Although they come from the same type of plant as regular onions, spring onions ... Home>>Preservation>>Onions Haveyoueverasked,“Arespringonionsandgreenonionsthesame?”Ifso,you’renotalone.Inthisarticle,we’llsettlethespringonionvsgreenoniondebateonceandforall. Whilethetwonamesoftengetusedinterchangeably,thereisasubtledifferencebetweengreenonionandspringonion.Theprimarydistinctionliesinwheneachoneisplantedandharvested.However,thevariationissominimalthatmanypeopleconsiderthemthesame. Generallyspeaking,greenonionsandspringonionsarebothimmatureonionsharvestedbeforedevelopingalarge,roundbulb.TheybelongtothegenusAlliumalongwithchives,garlic,leeks,scallions,andshallots. Springonionsareusuallymorematurethangreenonionsandhaveastrongerflavor.Theyfrequentlygetusedtogarnishfreshsalads,asatoppingforbakedpotatoes,orcookedinAsianstir-fryrecipes.Readontodiscoverhowtotellgreenonionsandspringonionsapartandthebestusesforeachone. (photodee/markstout/123rf.com) tb1234tb1234 TableOfContents AreSpringOnionsandGreenOnionstheSame?BotanicalDifferencebetweenGreenOnionandSpringOnionCookingwithSpringOnionvsGreenOnionBestSubstituteforSpringOnions AreSpringOnionsandGreenOnionstheSame? It’sacommonquestioninthegrocerystore’sproducesection:“Isaspringonionthesameasagreenonion?”Theansweris,notquite.Bothtypesofonionsproduceediblegreenleavesandsmallwhitebulbs.Theyhaveadelicateonionflavorandareusuallyservedraworlightlycooked. Tounderstandthedifferencebetweengreenonionandspringonion,it’shelpfultoknowhowonionsgrow.MostplantsintheAlliumfamilyarebiennial,whichmeanstheydeveloptheirrootsandleavesthefirstyearandproduceflowersandseedsduringtheirsecondgrowingseason. Thelarge,roundbulbisanenlargedleafstructure.Sincethat’stheediblepart,mostgardenersgrowbulbonions(Alliumcepa)asannuals.TheonlyperennialAlliumcultivarsarebunchingonions(Alliumfistulosum)andchives(Alliumschoenoprasum).Arechivesandgreenonionsthesame?Whiletheyaresimilar,theyaredifferentplantsthathavevaryingculinaryuses. Here’swherecommonnamessometimesmakeplantidentificationmorechallenging.Theterm“greenonions”oftengetsusedinterchangeablywithbunchingonions,springonions,andscallions. Technically,bunchingonionsarethenon-bulbingAlliumfistulosum.Aregreenonionsthesameasscallions?Whatexactlyarescallions?Greenonions,scallions,andspringonionsareimmatureformsofAlliumcepa. BotanicalDifferencebetweenGreenOnionandSpringOnion Atthisstage,youmaystartwondering,“Whatarespringonions,anyway?”Forthemostpart,thegreenonionsandspringonionsatthegrocerystoreareregularonionsthatgetpickedbeforedevelopingalargebulb. Springonionstypicallygetplantedinthefallandoverwinterinthegardenoranunheatedgreenhouse.Theyoungonionsareharvestedinearlyspring.Springonionshaveamorepronouncedbulbthangreenonions,andtheirgreentopsarestilltenderandedible. Greenonionsareyoungerthanspringonions,whichiswhytheyhaveamilderflavor.Thewhitesectionatthebaseofthegreenstemhasn’tstartedtoswellyetorisjustbarelybeginningtoformasmall,oblongbulb. Thissuper-simplerecipeforcrispyhomemadepotatoskinsisperfectforaneasy-to-makeappetizerorsidedish.Whatevertheoccasion,they’resuretobeabighit. tb1234CrispyPotatoSkinswithBaconandGreenOnions4smallrussetpotatoes6slicesofbacon,cookedandchopped2cupsofcheddarcheese,shredded2tablespoonsofoliveoil2greenonions,thinlyslicedSaltandpeppertotastetb1234 Startwithpreheatingyourconventionalovento400℉.Washthepotatoestoremoveanyresidualdirtontheskins.Pierceeachpotatooncewithafork,thenbakethemforanhouroruntiltender. Letthepotatoescoolforseveralminutesuntilthey’resafetohandle.Cuteachpotatoinhalflengthwiseandscoopouttheinnerflesh,leavingaquarter-inchonthesidesandbottom. Next,placeeachpotatohalfcut-sidedownonabakingsheet.Brushtheskinswitholiveoil.Seasonwithfreshlygroundsaltandpeppertotasteandbakefortenminutes.Removethebakingtrayfromtheovenandflipthepotatoestheotherway.Bakeforanothertenminutesoruntilthey’recrispyandgoldenbrown. Takethemoutandsprinkletheshreddedcheddarcheeseinsideeachpotato.Bakefortwoorthreemoreminutestomeltthecheese.Garnishwiththebaconbits,slicedgreenonions,andwhateverothertoppingsyouwish. CookingwithSpringOnionvsGreenOnion Greenonionsandspringonionshaveamuchmilderflavorthanmatureonions.Thewhitepartnearthebaseprovidesamorepotentonionflavor,whilethegreenstalksaremellowerandlessfibrous. Inadditiontotheslightlylargerbulb,springonionshaveasomewhatstrongerflavorthangreenonions.However,they’restillsweeterandmellowerthanfull-grownbulbonions. Ifyou’reonlyusingthegreentops,regrowingspringonionsonyourkitchenwindowsillisafunandrewardingDIYproject.Cutthegreenstemwhereitturnswhite,andplacethecutendinacontainerwithjustenoughwatertocoverthewhiteroots. Withinafewdays,newgreenleavesstartemerging.It’susuallypossibletogetthreeorfourmoreharvestsbeforetheystopproducingfreshleaves. Springonionsretaintheirflavorandtexturewellwhencooked.Trythiseasyrecipeforcreamypotatoandspringonionsoupfortheultimatecold-weathercomfortfood. tb1234SpringOnionandPotatoSoup2bunchesofspringonions,trimmed3russetpotatoes,peeledandquartered1mediumyellowonion,peeledandchopped4cupsofchickenorvegetablestock4tablespoonsofoliveoilSaltandpeppertotastetb1234 Startbycuttingthegreentopsoffyourspringonions.Coarselychopthesmallwhitebulbsandsetthemaside.Finelychopthegreenleavesandkeepthemseparatefromthewhiteparts. Heattheoliveoilinalargesouppotovermediumheat.Addthechoppedyellowonionandspringonionbulbsandsautéthemuntiltender,stirringfrequently.Incorporatethepotatoesandchickenorvegetablestockandseasonwithfreshlygroundsaltandpeppertotaste. Turnyourstovetopuptohighandbringthesouptoaboil.Turntheflamedowntomedium-lowandsimmerfor30-35minutesoruntilthepotatoesaresoft,stirringoccasionally. Letthesoupcoolslightly,thenpuréeitinbatchesusingablenderorfoodprocessor.Reheatyoursoupinthepotbeforeserving.Garnishwiththechoppedgreensandenjoywithbread,crackers,agrilledcheesesandwich,oryourfavoritesouppairing. BestSubstituteforSpringOnions Thereareseveraldifferentoptionsforsuitablealternativesifyoucan’tfindgreenonionsorspringonionsatthegrocerystore.Growingscallionsindoorsorinyourgardenisalsopossible. Althoughthey’redifferentspecies,bothchivesandleeksareafittingsubstituteforgreenonionsbecausetheyhaveasimilarlymildonionflavor.Chivesarebesttousefreshorlightlycookedsincetheyquicklybreakdownwhencookedforextendedperiods.Leekshaveamorefibrousqualityandmustbecookedbeforeeating. Red,white,oryellowonionsalsomakeanadequatesubstituteforspringonions.Whiteonionsusuallyprovidethemostpotentonionflavor,whileredandyellowarelessintense. Manypeopleoftenwonder,“Arespringonionsandgreenonionsthesamething?”Althoughtheycomefromthesametypeofplantasregularonions,springonionsgenerallyhaveaslightlylargerbulbandstrongerflavorthangreenonionsbecausetheygetplantedinthefallforharvestintheearlyspring. Incontrast,greenonionsgetharvestedafewweeksafterplantingandbeforetheybeginformingabulb. (photodee/markstout/123rf.com) Ifyouenjoyedlearningaboutthedifferencebetweengreenonionandspringonion,pleasesharethisarticleaboutspringonionvsgreenonionwithyourfriendsandfamilyonFacebookandPinterest. 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