Green Onions

Greens onions are also known as spring onions, scallions, or salad onions. Green onions are actually baby, immature onions that are picked before they fully grow. The bulb is younger and is cut while the tops are still green. They have tiny white or pale-green bulbs at the end of long green tops. There are slight age differences and bulb types between scallions and green onions, but they are often considered the same vegetable.

Best Storage Practices:

Store green onions in cool moist areas in the refrigerator, preferably the crisper or vegetable drawer (32-36 degrees F). Scallions will last between 3 and 4 weeks if stored properly.

Fun Ways to Eat and Cook:

Green onions are milder, sometimes sweeter, than their mature onion relatives. Scallions can be eaten raw or cooked by stir-frying, steaming, or roasting. Green onions are great for topping salads, soups, and pasta.

Selecting Green Onions:

Select green onions with white to pale green bulbs. Look for undamaged, unwilted tops. The tops should be bright green and about 8 inches long. When selecting green onions, be sure to look for crisp, firm bulbs.

Why it’s Good to Eat:

• Great source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folate—even more than mature onions.
• Good source of calcium.

When it’s in Season:

Green onions are a cooler climate vegetable and can be found in the spring, fall, and winter.

How it’s Harvested:

Green onion tops grow above the ground, while their bulbs grow below ground. To harvest, tops are pulled from gently loosened soil.

Recipes:

Fresh Scallions & Greens: Chop up Swiss Chard, collards, or other favorite greens. Lightly sauté greens in olive oil and top with fresh chopped scallions, both bulbs and tops. Season with salt and pepper and serve.