Pearl onion
{{Short description|Variety of onion}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Pearl onion
| image = Pearl onions.jpg
| image_caption = Pearl onions and peas topping a crockpot dish
| species = Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'
| cultivar = 'Pearl onion'
| origin =
}}
The pearl onion (Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum or A. ampeloprasum 'Pearl-Onion Group'),{{cite book |last=Fritsch |first=R.M. |author2=N. Friesen |editor=H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah |title=Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances |chapter=Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy |year=2002 |publisher=CABI Publishing |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85199-510-1 |page=9 }} also known as button onion, baby onion or silverskin onion in the UK,{{cite web |title=Onion|url=https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/food_glossary/onion.html |publisher=waitrose.com |access-date=23 January 2017}} 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,{{cite web |url=http://www.avrdc.org/LC/onion/practices.html |title=Onion cultivation |author=AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center |access-date=25 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304004327/http://www.avrdc.org/LC/onion/practices.html |archive-date=4 March 2011 |url-status=dead }} similar to cloves of garlic. In French they are known as oignon grelot. One English-speaking reference also mentions the term petit poireau antillais.{{cite web|title=Parisian Onions|url=https://traveltoeat.com/parisian-onions/|publisher=traveltoeat.com|access-date=23 January 2017|date=17 June 2012}}
Cultivation and storage
Pearl onions are cultivated mostly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, usually in home gardens, although formerly on a commercial scale. They are mostly used for pickling.{{cite book |last=Hanelt |first=Peter |editor=P. Hanelt |title=Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops (except ornamentals) |chapter=Alliaceae |year=2001 |publisher=Spring-Verlag |location=Berlin |isbn=3-540-41017-1 |page=2266 }}
Consumption
File:Jar of pickled onions in fridge.jpg
Because of its uniquely small size and a taste sweeter than that of a common onion,{{cite web|title=Pearl Onions|url=http://www.cooksinfo.com/pearl-onions|publisher=cooksinfo.com|access-date=23 January 2017}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Pearson|first1=Liz |title=SKINNING A PEARL ONION|url=http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Skinning-a-Pearl-Onion |publisher=saveur.com |access-date=23 January 2017|date=21 December 2007}}{{cite web|last1=Maister|first1=Kathy|title=How to Peel Pearl Onions|url=http://startcooking.com/how-to-peel-pearl-onions|publisher=startcooking.com/|access-date=23 January 2017}} It can also be used in cocktails such as "martini standing".
Pearl onions are a staple to the cuisine of Northern Europe.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} Also in modern Europe they are used as a flowering plant, and in Israel as a cut flower.
Pearl onions contain chemical compounds that have health benefits including helping cardiovascular health and stabilize blood sugar levels, and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.{{better source|date=June 2023}}
Common onions as a substitute
The majority of onions grown for pickling are common onions (A. cepa),{{cite book |last=Fritsch |first=R.M. |author2=N. Friesen |editor=H.D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah |title=Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances |chapter=Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy |year=2002 |publisher=CABI Publishing |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85199-510-1 |page=20 }} 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.{{cite book |last=Brewster |first=James L. |title=Onions and other vegetable alliums |edition=1st |year=1994 |publisher=CAB International |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=0-85198-753-2 |page=212 }} 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.Linda Griffith and Fred Griffith {{google books |Qd4JI64HtLMC|Onions, Onions, Onions: Delicious Recipes for the World's Favorite Secret ...|page=126}}
White varieties of common onions grown in this way for pickling include Crystal WaxLinda Griffith and Fred Griffith {{google books |Qd4JI64HtLMC|Onions, Onions, Onions: Delicious Recipes for the World's Favorite Secret ...|page=126}} and White Bermuda. There are red varieties as well, which are milder in flavour.{{cite web|title=Pearl Onions |url=http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/pearl-onions|publisher=bonappetit.com|access-date=23 January 2017|date=6 February 2008}}
Common onions grown from seed to produce small bulbs for pickling are ready to harvest in 90 days. In their fresh state they can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry, dark place.{{cite web|title=Pearl onion nutrition selection storage|url=http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/pearl-onion-nutrition-selection-storage|publisher=fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org|access-date=23 January 2017}}
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.{{Cn|date=March 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Allium}}
{{Allium-stub}}
{{vegetable-stub}}