The Best Onion Varieties for Growing, Storing and Eating

[@omeshsingh8091]

I love your channel. While you point out shortcomings in your trials you are so much more in-depth than most people on KZbin.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks! Glad you like my work!

[@ahabthecrab]

You have the coolest job, Bruce!! You are like Myth Busters of the garden getting to experiment, tinker and record your results every day.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

It's better than myth busters - this is empirical science.

[@REDGardens]

It is a pretty cool job!!

[@trillium7582]

7:02: "Jayses that's a great onion". Delightful video, Bruce! You always give me so much to think about that I never even considered.

[@REDGardens]

That was great feedback from Joe!

[@ardenthebibliophile]

I get so excited when a new RED video drops. I'm doing my own (small) onion tests this year and am inspired by your work!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@jamescobleii5057]

love how you explain things dont beat around the bush eventhough different zone/environments i love trying new things just to see

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

Bravo, a reminder that your Heriloom/Heritage and/or OP plants will improve each year you save and then replant the seeds. They will adapt to weather/soil/timing etc. I saw a couple OP's did ok in the taste test, it would be interesting to be able to jump forward in time and see if some will improve to the point you'd like to start keeping them, such as A. Craig. I grow the OP Danvers Yellow Glove which is a great long term keeper and easy seed savings. Thanks so much again

[@notforwantoftrying1]

Haven't clicked play yet, but thanks for starting to cover more taste tests in your videos! This is a subject that is not covered anywhere near enough in the youtube gardening space. There is almost infinite information out there about how to actually grow the plants, but most people rarely actually compare the final products once they've been harvested. For many gardeners such as myself, I don't grow for self sufficiency and my top priority above all else is flavour. If that means a smaller yield than other varieties, I'm happy to take that tradeoff every time.

[@REDGardens]

Yes, flavour is definitely underrated, and also so hard o actually evaluate as taste preference is so different for different people. I am also really interesting in how the same plant grown in different gardens or using different methods can taste different.

[@notforwantoftrying1]

@@REDGardens Yes, how the "terroir" affects the flavour is a fascinating subject. The question of what is "objectively" a good flavour is also an interesting one. Each person has a unique subjective preference for taste, so I think it could be valuable to view these questions in a similar way to how professional beer tasters do. The beers are ranked on how "accurate to the style" they are. So it may be not be the tasters favourite beer of all time, but it could still be ranked highly due to it being a perfect exemplar of that paticular "style" of beer. I wonder if this can be translated to fruits and vegetables too. What are the qualities that typify the perfect onion variety? There are many factors we could consider depending on the culinary application we are using them for. Sweetness, bitterness, overall strength of "onion" flavour, whether it melts or remains firm upon cooking, and so on. For french onion soup one would prefer an onion and completely disintegrates, but for a stir fry a bit of crunch is essential.

[@REDGardens]

@@notforwantoftrying1 That is really interesting. I think one of the key issues with translating for beer Tasters to fruit and vegetables is that very few people, if anyone, has a refined sense of the differences between the vegetable types. For example, at least here in Ireland, I don't know many people who could taste a beefsteak tomato and be able to say if it is a good, mediocre or fantastic version of a beefsteak tomato. Taste in vegetables is just not refined enough, at least compared to all those people who have a much more refined and developed taste for beers and wine.

[@jeshurunfarm]

We love onions

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@jeshurunfarm]

Thank you Red. What a informative video. Respect from Africa 🇿🇦

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@PlantObsessed]

Great video. Maybe you can use the land race method to get a good open pollinated onion for your area. I would like to see a similar video for other vegetables. Maybe garlic or spinach?

[@REDGardens]

I am not sure I have the patience to develop a land race, especially with plants like onions where it takes 2 years to produce seed.

[@PlantObsessed]

@@REDGardens me neither lol

[@fxm5715]

I've been experimenting with multiplier, or "potato" onions as an alternative to using starts or seed. So far, it seems that the "seed" onion from the previous year always bolts, as you'd expect, but its offspring do not. In my region, they overwinter well, too, so I can plant them at the same time as garlic. They are hardy enough and have enough stored energy that they get a pretty early start without having to pamper seeds indoors. They are definitely smaller onions, but you get 3-9 for each one planted, and they store quite well. As always, thanks for the great info, Bruce.

[@REDGardens]

I haven't grown multiplier onions before, if I don't count the occasional crop of shallots, but really should try them out.

[@LOVEisTHEultimateLAW]

Need more variety of onions in my life thx for the inspiration

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@tmd7859]

I prefer to grow from seed too! Love growing onions! I'm not good at storing them. I'll typically dehydrate them. Also, I make sure to plant a second round of green onions in July to have fresh green onions all winter

[@REDGardens]

I haven't tried dehydrating onions, but really should try it.

[@charlespalmer3595]

I'm so happy that you did the taste testing, and did so with some pro tasters! Are we going to see more of these taste trials?

[@REDGardens]

I would like to do more taste trials like this!

[@allenburch8526]

So very useful. I was only thinking about storability but you’ve got me considering flavor and yield. Thank you from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

[@REDGardens]

Glad it was helpful!

[@billirvine9078]

This man knows his onions.

[@Nesh108]

Great experiment there! I would definitely take under consideration whether the seeds can be reused or not; for me I would never decide to have to keep on buying seeds from a company.

[@REDGardens]

With biennial crops like onions, I don't mind buying seeds, as it does take a long time to produce seeds.

[@jennisutherland577]

Thank you for another wonderful, thought provoking video 🤗

[@REDGardens]

😊

[@paolomaggi8188]

Very interesting! Well done! you have a very scientific approach to everything.

[@Pepso8P]

That is a great feedback you got, I wouldn't even think to consider some of the things they mentioned. I tried sowing seeds early this year indoors so hopefully I could get a better harvest than previous years when I sowed them directly in the garden. I had some new seeds which sprouted nicely and some over four years old which had 0% germination. I have seeds of one more variety which I want to try, which are over two years old, so I'll see how they do.

[@REDGardens]

It was fantastic feedback! The seeds for onions do not seem to last very long at all. A few of the packets I used this year had about 10% germination.

[@kingjames4886]

interesting trial and great looking onions.

[@jeffmartin693]

Onions are my passion! I grow a storage onion called patterson that will mostly store for 12 months, not the greatest taste but will still have onions all year. for taste I like an onion called candy, only good for about 5 months storage when perfect. My newest trial is growing a white short day white bermuda onion that will bulb up very early and make the greatest pearl liittle onions to be pulled and stored in late june.

[@hermitholllerhomestead2080]

Great work. I love onions and your channel.

[@rabbitofthefuture3234]

Splendid.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@akicarus9508]

really appreciate your content lad

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@MeandYouHello]

Thank you for sharing your videos

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@MrRemakes]

I'm really impressed with your work, and I appreciate that you use your access to a lot of gardening space to carry out experiments on a pretty large scale and scope like this. Of course, it's not necessarily exactly replicable in everyone's garden since conditions, gardening methods, and the experience of the individual gardener vary so much, but even so we can get a lot of valuable information out of the data you produce, even if we don't all get yields like you.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. Glad you appreciate what I do. It is really cool to be able to explore at that kind of scale!

[@nateb4485]

Great content as usual, some interesting results.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@jaberblack5608]

keep the good effort i like this kind of videos 👍👍👍

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@hotmalm]

Great information. Thanks😊👌

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@gabriellakadar]

This was very interesting. I grow Rose de Roscoff Keravel because it's my favourite onion. And as you observed, it stores well. This year I've got Karmen which according to your test also stores well, which is good. Some of the red onions in the past had to be eaten before Rose because they would start to sprout early. For a nice salad onion, try Purplette. It's a mild round to slightly elongate onion. Not a storage onion.

[@davidwise542]

I have been experimenting with onions for the past few years as well, and am now growing all from seed. They seem to do better, in addition to having a much greater number of varieties to choose from. This fall I am going to try something different - planting my seeds in the fall, just like I plant my garlic. The two plants, onion and garlic, are in the same family. I saw someone else do this, and I thought that I should try it as well. I should be able to get an earlier harvest with larger bulbs, due to the amount of underground growth through the winter, and the early spring above ground growth. Plus, it is a way to keep roots active in the soil for longer, which should only help the soil biology. Guess I will find out in about a year when I harvest.

[@pboyd4278]

Wonderful video! I really enjoy who in this video, you've narrowed down the competing attributes of the crop. I have a half dozen onions (remains of store bought) that I found sprouting in my compost last year that I planted and stored in garage over winter (didn't amount to a whole lot)...and found a few months ago to have survived and were sprouting again. They are now taking off (planted beginning of April). May 24 frost be damned!

[@AlsanPine]

just subscribed... only seen a few vids but i really like your approach to gardening and your openness to experience. you make me miss ireland... last i was there in 1982! n. idaho growing has some similarity and some differences from your location but the wisdom is universal 🙂

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I always find your channel very helpful, I remember your squash comparison. The only issue i have with your channel is every time i watch a vidoe i have to add more seeds into the basket!!1 incrediblely helpful. I am going to try to be more organised with recording my veggies! i may get a scale for our storage room.

[@REDGardens]

Haha, more seeds!! A scale and a few notes can really help to keep track of the different types, and the different seasons.

[@AJWGBFX]

My favourite onion to grow recently is the Zebrun shallot, from seed. If started early and given reasonable space it grows to 300g and stores really well.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds interesting. I want to grow shallots from seed, but didn't get around to it this year.

[@nancymathisen9707]

Very interesting.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@jonnybell]

Nice to see a very well thought out and in depth breakdown on your Onion crop, I am also growing onions for seed this year using the Bedfordshire champ as one of the varieties grown, also based in Ireland though up at the north end.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Excellent. Thanks

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@brians1001]

I love watching these variety comparisons. I'll have to watch it again. It wasn't very clear what the better varieties were. I grow Stuttgart Giant (from sets), (at least when the allium fly doesn't ruin my year). I saw you mention its a good storage onion, but then nothing else said. I think its a pretty good onion, but I'm open to others. I'm trying red onion Braunschweiger (sets) this year, as well. Thanks for your efforts and sharing.

[@REDGardens]

Stuttgart Giant did store well, but didn't produce a very high yield in this trial, and none the tasters mentioned that it was a great onion, so it probably mont make the cut, unless it preforms better his year.

[@matthewstone7367]

Great video!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@at1the1beginning]

Great! Garlic or leeks next year please. I LOVE eating Alliacaea

[@REDGardens]

I have a trial of 10 different garlic varieties already growing!

[@bobbun9630]

I have been playing with onions for the last few years. They're not a crop I did much with in the past. However, my focus has been more on perennial types--potato onions, shallots, welsh onions, Egyptian onions, etc. I have observed that at least some "biennial" onions can be grown as perennials in a manner similar to potato onions or shallots. The variety I have tried will produce 1-3 roughly full sized new bulbs by the end of the growing season in the year it attempts to flower (I cut the scapes, but don't know if that's necessary). That might be an option for avoiding purchasing hybrid seed repeatedly, though I suspect it's not the best use of available growing space. It's at least something to do with sprouted onions, assuming they sprout at a reasonable time to plant.

[@REDGardens]

I would like to try a few perennial options, not some thing I have tried in the past. It wild be interesting to see how they compare. Interesting idea about using biennial onions to produce a second crop. I can see that in the seed onions I am growing, and I wonder what would happen if I simply cut off the scapes/flower buds. You are probably right about it being a good use of surplus sprouted onions. I did mention the cost of the hybrid seed but in reality they were about €3.50 for 500 organic seeds, or less than 1 cent a seed. This is enough to supply a house like ours with enough onions for 2 or 3 seasons, which is not a big expense of a reliable crop of onions.

[@david111davies]

Cupido and Jagro from sets both still ok in storage going into May, not many bolted either. Taste is quite average i think but better than supermarket. Harvested about August 7th from mid march planting

[@REDGardens]

I haven't heard of either of those varieties. Interesting that they last so long.

[@littlebiscuit53]

That's a big batch of onions. Great data, hope to see the numbers this year confirm what you found last year. This is my first year growing onions, I just tried a few from seed and some shallots from the start bulb. How do you store so many onions at once?

[@REDGardens]

It will be interest gin to see how the next few trials compare to the one last year. I generally only store the amount of onions that we need for ourselves, hanging them in our pantry. Any surplus get distributed to neighbours when they are dry so I don't need to store them.

[@NilsNone]

In my area a lot of people make marmelade from the longer onionvarieties.... or use them for pickeling.... Limits the use a bit but makes the storageissue go away. Same with some red varieties.

[@mylesfalconer9183]

Shallots!

[@REDGardens]

Yes, I need to grow more of them.

[@firefly5421]

Another great video, thanks for sharing your thoughts and exploring the different nuances of crop selection! I'm curious if you're willing to share - where do you like to order your seeds from? I've been ordering online from a Galway based store and while they have a nice selection, the germination rates of some of the seeds have been less than what I'd hoped for.

[@REDGardens]

I get the seeds from a bunch of different suppliers, including Moles Seeds and the Seed Coop in the UK, Seedaholic in Ireland, Bingenheimer in Germany, and Irish Seed Savers, and have tried a few other smaller suppliers in Ireland. But I have also found not great germination rates from some of the smaller suppliers.

[@firefly5421]

@@REDGardens Cheers, thanks for the info! Yeah, I'm a bit sad that I'm having problems with the smaller shops as I'd rather support small and local, but sometimes it's just not working out for me.

[@verrazzanoveg8844]

Thanks for so much info, love all of these details and stats you always provide! Have you tried any perennial onions? That's where I'm trying to expand this year (because I can never grow enough in my space). And I've been doing onion from seed for a few years but I find I'm advised to put them out early and then the wildlife gets them. Sure, I could wait but my climate warms up really quick so I'm still working out the balance. And advice much appreciated. Thanks!

[@bobaloo2012]

Good video. I also grow several types, some for fresh use and some for storage. Out here in the Pacific NW we grow "Walla Walla Sweet" a lot, very mild, sweet onion that stores poorly so it's used fresh and for a couple of months after harvest. I also grow a couple of the long red Tropea onions for fresh and early use, and a couple of types of storage onions for later in the winter. I too have also realized that with polytunnels available there's not so much need for storage of many crops, for example right now I'm eating onions I'm weeding out of the polytunnels that overwintered and are now growing like made making very large "green onions" which are delicious.

[@REDGardens]

The polytunnel definitely makes it easier to get onions all year round! I had heard of that onion variety before but have never tried it. Onions over here in Ireland are really limited, typically only standard types of yellow storage onions available to buy, so very few people have any other experience with onions.

[@gailthornbury291]

Onions from seed always seem so thin and frail compared to sets. For a while anyway. I’ve grown both. Shallots are worth exploring. They seem to store indefinitely and are so much more expensive to buy in the shops. Shallot sets are ruinously expensive though. I just grew some shop bought shallots and they mostly seemed fine.

[@REDGardens]

I am growing shallots this year, so will be interesting to see how they compare.

[@jimmytyson6726]

I always appreciate your work, it was immensely valuable last summer when I was working at a community market garden. Do you have any experience growing ginger in your climate?

[@REDGardens]

Awesome. So cool to know that my work and videos ends up being useful for others! I don't have any experience with ginger, though I want to try growing some.

[@David_Bell_growing]

Will you be doing a garlic comparison? I'm only growing about 6 varieties of onion this year, but might get close to your 15 onion varieties with garlic. What did your taste testers think of Ailsa Craig? I normally grow Kelsae for large, mild onions capable of producing a horizontal slice the size of a slice of bread for a cheese and onion sandwich..

[@REDGardens]

I am growing 10 garlic varieties at the moment, both in the polytunnel and in the outside gardens! I didnt get a lot of feedback about the taste of Ailsa Craig.

[@daveshanks8205]

Santero has excellent Downy Mildew resistance

[@REDGardens]

Good to know. Part of me hopes this year is a bad year for downy mildew, so that I can see what varieties do well. But I also definitely don't want downy mildew!

[@austenhead5303]

Onions are complicated. I only recently learned about the long day short day thing, so is that a factor you took into account? Are all these varieties suited to your geographical location?

[@wdsp69]

I prefer sets over starters. Starters do not do as well here in Japan. Sets always grow big.

[@REDGardens]

Sets are easier!

[@BlackJesus8463]

onyo

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@pinballwizard6906]

✌️😎

[@HansWeberHimself]

Raw onions. Interesting. I have access to maybe 3 to 7 types of onions over the year, plus 2 kinds of green onions (supermarket and coop). I only eat the green onions raw in salad regularly and sometimes a sweet variety, but they are then marinated in salt and vinegar and not really all that raw, right? Never ate an onion like an apple. Is that the idea?

[@eggcluck]

My seed onions fail every year, yet I keep trying. Feel like I am wasting space.

[@TheNashBurger]

Your friends are like onion sommeliers...

[@REDGardens]

Yes! A great description.

[@bradcarby3765]

I'm not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between onions. I just know my salad is going to be more expensive if it has purple onions in it.

[@REDGardens]

I don't think I am sophisticated enough either!