Green Onions (Scallions)

Look for scallions about 12 inches long with white or red root ends and bright green tops that are hollow. The upper end should be dark green with no yellowing. Choose straight scallions - curled shoots are a sign of age. Select thinner ones for milder taste and thicker for assertive onion flavor in roasting and grilling.

Preventing moisture loss is key. Wrap in damp paper towels or reusable plastic bags to keep fresh and crisp.

Raw scallions are used in salads or as garnish. Slice green tops and sprinkle on baked potatoes. Featured heavily in Asian cuisine, stir-fries, and scallion pancakes. Grilled green onions are delicious - a Catalan tradition is calçotada (grilled onions dipped in Romesco sauce). Take well to roasting, grilling, sautéing, or simmering. Root end is tender and complex; green tops have strong herbal quality. Important: thoroughly clean hollow stems which trap dirt and bacteria, especially for raw use.

Make easy and flavorful fridge pickles - cut into lengths, pack tightly in jars with equal parts boiling water and vinegar, salt, sugar, and dried spices like mustard or celery seeds. Refrigerate for at least one day, keeps up to three weeks. Can regrow by placing roots in water - new greens ready in about a week.

Share allicin compound with garlic, shown to fight bacteria and fungi, lower cholesterol, and act as antioxidant. Contain starch, sugars, cellulose, fatty acids, pectin, and Vitamins A and C. In traditional Chinese medicine, white portion treats common cold to kidney stones.

Known as Welsh onion but not from Wales - name from old German 'welsch' meaning 'foreign.' Can identify variety by leaf cross-section at the base - D-shaped indicates bulbing onion (Allium cepa), round/O-shaped indicates bunching onion (Allium fistulosum). Related to shallots and leeks in lily family. Scallion pancakes are key ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Fungicides and pesticides sometimes used to prevent crop failure, especially without crop rotation. Buy organic at supermarket to avoid pesticide exposure. Discuss growing conditions with farmers market growers. Allium fistulosum grows year-round in warm climates, propagated by division. Allium cepa daylight-sensitive, requires certain sunlight hours for bulb formation. Susceptible to pests and diseases requiring crop rotation.