Biology:Pearl onion

From HandWiki
Short description: Variety of onion
Pearl onion
Pearl onions and peas topping a crockpot dish
SpeciesAllium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'
Cultivar'Pearl onion'

The pearl onion (Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'),[1] also known as button onion, baby onion or silverskin onion in the UK,[2] is a close relative of the leek (A. ampeloprasum var. porrum), and may be distinguished from common onions by having only a single storage leaf,[3] similar to cloves of garlic. In French they are known as oignon grelot. One English-speaking reference also mentions the term petit poireau antillais.[4]

Cultivation and storage

Pearl onions are cultivated mostly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy,[5] usually in home gardens,[1] although formerly on a commercial scale.[4] They are mostly used for pickling.[6]

Consumption

Pickled pearl onions.

Because of its uniquely small size and a taste sweeter than that of a common onion,[2][7] it has also been used in dishes ranging from mid-20th-century American casserole dishes such as succotash to sweetly flavored onion relishes in Indian cuisine. It can also be used in stews, soups or sautéed (fried) with other vegetables.[8][2][9] It can also be used in cocktails such as "martini standing".[5]

Pearl onions are a staple to the cuisine of Northern Europe. Also in modern Europe they are used as a flowering plant, and in Israel as a cut flower.[4]


Common onions as a substitute

The majority of onions grown for pickling are common onions (A. cepa),[10] which are normally much larger, but are grown to a small size suitable for pickling by planting them so densely that each one has very little room to grow.[11] Common onions grown in this way are often referred to as "pearl onions" even though they do not belong to the same family as true pearl onions.[5]

White varieties of common onions grown in this way for pickling include Crystal Wax[5] and White Bermuda.[7] There are red varieties as well, which are milder in flavour.[12] Common onions grown from seed to produce small bulbs for pickling are ready to harvest in 90 days.[7] In their fresh state they can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry, dark place.[12][13]

Cultural references

Larry Wall's yearly State of the Onion speeches about advancements in Perl programming, an allusion to the many layers of the language, are named as a pun both on the pearl onion and the U.S. president's State of the Union addresses.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fritsch, R.M.; N. Friesen (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". in H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah. Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 0-85199-510-1. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Onion". waitrose.com. https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/food_glossary/onion.html. 
  3. ↑ AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center. "Onion cultivation". http://www.avrdc.org/LC/onion/practices.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Parisian Onions". traveltoeat.com. 17 June 2012. https://traveltoeat.com/parisian-onions/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Linda Griffith and Fred Griffith Onions, Onions, Onions: Delicious Recipes for the World's Favorite Secret ..., p. 126, at Google Books
  6. ↑ Hanelt, Peter (2001). "Alliaceae". in P. Hanelt. Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops (except ornamentals). Berlin: Spring-Verlag. p. 2266. ISBN 3-540-41017-1. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Pearl Onions". cooksinfo.com. http://www.cooksinfo.com/pearl-onions. 
  8. ↑ Pearson, Liz (21 December 2007). "SKINNING A PEARL ONION". saveur.com. http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Skinning-a-Pearl-Onion. 
  9. ↑ Maister, Kathy. "How to Peel Pearl Onions". startcooking.com/. http://startcooking.com/how-to-peel-pearl-onions. 
  10. ↑ Fritsch, R.M.; N. Friesen (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". in H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah. Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 0-85199-510-1. 
  11. ↑ Brewster, James L. (1994). Onions and other vegetable alliums (1st ed.). Wallingford, UK: CAB International. p. 212. ISBN 0-85198-753-2. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Pearl Onions". bonappetit.com. 6 February 2008. http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/pearl-onions. 
  13. ↑ "Pearl onion nutrition selection storage". fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/pearl-onion-nutrition-selection-storage. 
  14. ↑ Kte'pi, Bill (2024). "Larry Wall". https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/larry-wall. 




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