ONION HARVEST HAS BEGUN

 Walla Walla Sweet Onions--Second to None

It's that time of year when the scent of sweet onions permeate the air in parts of the Walla Walla Valley. 

Walla Walla Sweet Onions have been grown as a specialty vegetable crop since 1900.

To be labeled a "Genuine Walla Walla Sweet Onion" the onion must be grown in the legal production area 

which encompasses Walla Walla county in southeastern Washington and a small part of northeastern Oregon.

The appealing mildness of Walla Walla Sweet Onions is due to their low sulfur content--less sulphur means less bite and no tears--

and is half that of ordinary yellow storage onions. And despite the Sweet Onion label, they contain negligible amounts of sugar.

 Look for the round shape, elongated neck, dry, paper-thin skin, and the "Genuine" seal.

The Sweets are larger than most onions; they can weigh up to 2lbs. each and measure 5 inches.

The Sweets are planted in early fall and overwinter before restarting growth in early spring.

They are available mid-June through September, although this year's crop seems to be a bit early.

'TIS THE SEASON

Onions so sweet you can eat 'em like an apple

The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is grown exclusively in the Walla Walla Valley in southeast Washington state. The seed was brought from the island of Corsica in 1900 by a French soldier named Peter Pieri. Over the years the Sweet Onion was developed by selecting and reseeding onions that possessed the qualities of sweetness, jumbo size and round shape. 

Historically, Sweet Onions were grown by the valley's Italian farmers many of whose ancestors continue in the onion-growing business today. Family names such as Locati, Castoldi, Taruscio, and Deccio are synonymous with Walla Walla Sweet Onions, although today about 20 growers cultivate onions on nearly 800 acres.

Walla Walla Sweets are available to purchase beginning mid-June through July. But because of their high water content, they have a shorter shelf life than a typical dry onion.

While Walla Walla Sweets are sold in local grocery stores, many roadside stands pop up during the season that sell single onions as well as 5, 10, and 20 pound bags.

SIGNS OF THE SEASON

Asparagus once rivaled the Walla Walla Sweet Onion for farmland, but with the closing of Green Giant and other local canneries, few commercial fields are planted with this springtime delicacy. Fortunately there are several local farms that still grow the crop to offer fresh asparagus this time of year.