How to choose different onions at the grocery store | Your Quick Guide to the 4 Types of Onions

This video is a quick guide on how to choose onions at the grocery store. I will give you some brief information about each type of onion so that you know its characteristics and what best to use them for.

Here’s a breakdown of the main differences between yellow onions, purple (red) onions, sweet onions, and white onions based on flavor, appearance, texture, and common uses:

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1. Yellow Onion

Flavor: Strong, pungent, and slightly sweet when cooked; sharp when raw.

Texture: Firm and crisp when raw, softens significantly when cooked.

Uses: The all-purpose onion—great for cooking in soups, stews, roasts, and caramelizing due to its balanced flavor and high sugar content that develops with heat.

Notes: Most common onion in many cuisines; it has a higher sulfur content, contributing to its pungency.

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2. Purple Onion (Red Onion)

Flavor: Milder than yellow onions, with a slightly sweet and peppery taste; less pungent overall.

Texture: Crisp and crunchy, holds up well when raw.

Uses: Often used raw in salads, salsas, sandwiches, or as a garnish due to its vibrant color and milder flavor. Can be grilled or pickled too.

Notes: Contains anthocyanins (antioxidants) responsible for the purple hue; less ideal for heavy cooking as it loses color.

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3. Sweet Onion

Flavor: Mild and sweet with low pungency, even when raw, due to lower sulfur content and higher water content.

Texture: Juicy and crisp, softer than yellow onions.

Uses: Excellent raw in salads, on burgers, or lightly cooked (e.g., grilled or sautéed); not ideal for long cooking as they don’t caramelize as deeply.

Notes: Grown in specific low-sulfur soils (e.g., Georgia for Vidalia), which reduces sharpness.

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4. White Onion

Flavor: Sharp and clean with a mild sweetness; less complex than yellow onions.

Texture: Crisp and firm, slightly more tender than yellow onions.

Uses: Common in Mexican and Latin American cuisine (e.g., salsas, guacamole); good raw or lightly cooked. Less suited for caramelizing.

Notes: Higher water content than yellow onions, making them juicier but less durable in storage.
Key Comparisons:

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Storage: Yellow and Purple store longer than Sweet and White due to lower water content.
Each onion type brings something unique to the table—choose based on whether you want bold flavor, color, or sweetness!

#onions #cookingtips


0:00 Onions!
0:33 Sweet Onions
0:49 Purple Onions
1:22 Yellow Onions
1:45 White Onions