One of the things I love about this time of year is walking outside and smelling the wonderful aroma of barbecue. There’s always someone in our neighborhood firing up the grill and a juicy hamburger on the grill can’t be beat. The only thing that makes it better is a big, sweet slice of Vidalia Onion. As I picked up a Vidalia Onion at the store recently, I started to wonder what made an onion a Vidalia Onion. As it turns out, the Vidalia has guite a history.
According to “The Vidalia Onion Story”, a farmer in Toombs County, Georgia named Mose Coleman discovered in the late spring of 1931 that the onions he had planted were not hot, they were sweet! Because they were so unusual, he had a hard time convincing people what a great product they were. Finally people took notice and he was able to sell them for a pretty hefty price. Other farmers who weren’t getting good prices for their produce thought Coleman had discovered a gold mine.
In the 1940s the state of Georgia built a Farmer’s Market in Vidalia, Georgia primarily because it was at the juncture of Georgia’s most traveled highways. Because the market had such a thriving tourist business, word began to spread about “those Vidalia Onions”. Soon “Vidalia Onions” began appearing on the shelves of Piggly Wiggly and A & P grocery stores. There then was a push to distribute the onions across the nation and promotional efforts began. In 1990 the Vidalia Onion was named Georgia’s Official State Vegetable.
The Vidalia Onion is actually the yellow granex hybrid that is grown in many other parts of the country. What gives a Vidalia Onion its mellow, juicy-sweet flavor is the climate and soil conditions in which it is grown. The onions flourish in the sandy loam soil and mild temperatures of certain counties in Georgia. In 1989, under the terms of Federal Marketing Order No. 955, Vidalia Onions are defined to include only those produced in 13 counties and portions of seven others, all in Georgia. The counties in Southeast Georgia are: Appling, Bacon, Jeff Davis, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen and Wheeler, as well as portions of Dodge, Jenkins, Laurens, Long, Pierce, Screven and Wayne.
The majority of Vidalia Onion Farms are multi-generational, family owned-and-operated businesses. Approximately 225 growers cultivate Vidalia Onions on over 10,000 acres. About 125 handlers are involved in the grading, packing and distribution of Vidalias. Farmers plant Vidalia Onions from September through February and harvest the mature onion from April to mid-June. The Vidalia industry’s annual harvest brings in over $50 million to Georgia’s economy.
In 1990 technology borrowed from the apple industry was adapted to begin the controlled atmosphere (CA) storage of Vidalia Onions. By changing the atmosphere in which Vidalia Onions are stored, including changing the quality of the air and temperature, the onions stored are essentially dormant until they are removed and restored to normal atmospheric conditions. Under the CA process Vidalia Onions can be put into storage for up to six months. Currently some 20,000,000 pounds of Vidalia Onions are stored this way, extending their availability through the fall and into the holiday season.
Vidalia Onions have a light golden-brown bulb and white interior. The shape is rounded on the bottom and flat on the top. The best Vidalias are firm without blemishes and the skins should be dry. Vidalia Onions have a higher water and sugar content than other onions and can bruise easily. The following are some simple storage suggestions for Vidalia Onions.
* Keep them cool, dry and separated.
* In the refrigerator, wrap each onion individually in foil or paper towels.
* In the legs of pantyhose, tie a knot between each Vidalia and hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Cut above the knot when you want one.
* Store on elevated racks or screens, not touching and in a cool place.
* Vidalia Onions can be chopped and dried in the oven. Use the lowest setting and remove when thoroughly dry but not brown. Store at room temperature in airtight containers.
* Vidalia Onions can be frozen. Chop; freeze on a cookie sheet and then place in freezer bags. Or peel, core and freeze whole in a freezer bag. Freezing changes the texture, so frozen onions should be used only for cooking.
* Place a whole, raw, unpeeled Vidalia onion in the refrigerator and chill for approximately one hour before serving, or peel and cut into slices and place in a bowl of ice water for approximately 30 minutes and then drain on paper towels. Either of these methods will bring out a sweeter flavor when eating raw Vidalias.
Since the Vidalia Onion industry is so huge in Georgia, it is only fitting that there is a Vidalia Onion Festival held each spring in a little town aptly named Vidalia, Georgia. The 10-day event features an onion cook-off, an onion-eating contest, and onion run, a carnival, a beauty pageant, sports tournaments, a rodeo, an airport exhibit, a street dance, and arts festivals and craft displays. During the festival an additional 50,000 people visit Vidalia. In 1991, the Vidalia Onion Committee began to annually honor one individual with introduction into the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame. The committee considers the recipient’s character, reputation and overall contribution to the growth and success of the Vidalia Onion. Next time you plan to barbecue, or anytime at all, pick up some Vidalia Onions. After all, it’s not like you can grow them in your backyard, and you just might be eating a Vidalia Onion grown by a Hall of Famer.
This article appears in March 2024.