Have you gone to the store to find onions swimming in a debris of their own skins? Yes, I’m afraid it’s that time of year, but never fear . . . spring is very near!
If you’ve asked why so many skins in the bin, here’s your answer. Storage type onions, as they near the end of the season, shrink ever so slightly. This slight loss of moisture can cause the shedding of a layer or two of their papery skins. As we near the end of the storage season, you can expect to see a few extra skins in the onion bin at your grocery store and at home.
On the upside, skins in the onion bin signal Spring’s arrival. Growers in Texas have reved up their harvest equipment and are working hard to bring you the spring crop of onions! Georgia, California, and Arizona will be getting geared up for harvest this month as well. So, what will you do with your first purchase of the new crop? Will you make a crisp, refreshing salad full of juicy onion or will you cut up some thick slices for your first burger of the season, hot off the grill?

Here at onion headquarters, my co-workers have voted for a thick juicy slice on a burger. Let us know what your plans are, we’d love to hear from you.