Spring Onion

 

What are Spring Onions?

Spring onions are a variety of the scallion or green onions, i.e. the edible part of the Allium species, having a stronger flavor, with a strong distinctive bite. The roots are fully developed, and of the bulb type, and the leaves are hollow in shape, and possess a green color. They are used for a wide variety of recipes such as salads and salsas. It has got plain looks with an intense flavor that surely delights your taste buds with its awesome flavor. It is also known as slad onions, green onions and spring onion scallion.

Growing Spring Onion

Spring onions can be grown in troughs, spring onion in pots, and are even in raised beds. The spring onion plants need a fertile soil. They mature very are not so much attracted by flies or other mildew. The soil to be selected should have a good drainage capacity for spring onion growing. Care should be taken that the plant receives a lot of sunlight, as it requires good sunlight to grow.

This plant can be grown in tight spaces as well, provided the spring onion seeds are grown a few inches apart. You should add fertilizer to the soil to make up for the missing nutrients. Spring onions will be ready to be picked after 18 to 19 weeks of being planted. They can be harvested by simply pulling them straight from the ground. Wash the spring onions before use, and you can then use it the way you like.

Spring Onion Nutrients

Spring onions are very rich in nutrient content. It contains many important vitamins and minerals, which are vital for life. The nutritional value of green onions in 100 grams of it is as follows:

• Vitamin C – 11 mg
• Calcium – 31 mg
• Carotene – 14 µg
• Vitamin B1 – 0.04 mg
• Vitamin B2 – 0.04 mg
• Iron – 1.2 mg
• Potassium – 180 mg
• Protein – 2 g
• Fat – 0.5 g
• Fiber – 1.5 g
• Alcohol  – o g

Spring Onion Nutrition

Spring onion is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium level. It has a high content of dietary fiber, vitamins, magnesium, potassium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, copper and riboflavin.

Spring Onion Calories

Spring onions do not contain too many calories. On an average, the amount of calories in spring onions is almost 24 in every 100 grams of this vegetable.

Spring Onion Benefits

Spring onions not only tastes great, but they also provide a host of benefits to the people. It provides many nutritious and health benefits to the people. Some of the benefits of spring onions are as follows:

They are used to enhance the taste of other dishes. It is added as a sort of flavoring agent, as it adds a special taste to the food. Apart from this, the amount of diseases that it can cure is innumerable. These onions have the benefits of both – onions and greens. They are a very rich source of vitamin A, C, and K. they can be used for destroying worms or other parasites in the stomach.

Spring Onions Health Benefits

Spring onion is a very nutritious plant, and therefore it provides a host of health benefits to us. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals which aids in curing the various ailments. It is seen to have helped in reducing the harmful impacts of various diseases. Some of the health benefits of spring onions are as follows:

• It lowers the blood sugar level
• It protects us against ovarian cancer.
• It is a support against gastrointestinal problems
• It reduces inflammation
• The risk of developing colon and cancer is reduced to a great extent.
• There is a marked decrease in the cholesterol level of the body, including the blood pressure levels.
• It is often used as a medicine for common cold.
• It is used as an appetizer as it helps in digestion.
• It speeds up the level of blood circulation in the body.
• The oils present in it stimulate the sweat glands so as to enable sweating from the body.
• It is rich in vitamin A and Vitamin C. It contains sulfur which inhibits fungal infections.

Preparing Spring Onions

It is very easy to prepare spring onions. You just need to trim the roots from the bulb. After this, we need to remove the outer leaves of the onions, and then wash it thoroughly. It can be sliced vertically, or horizontally, and may even be sliced into pieces.

How to cut Spring Onions?

Spring onions can be cut in many ways for being consumed. It can be chopped into pieces or can be sliced, if required for garnishing or topping.

How to Store Spring Onions?

It is very important to store spring onions properly to enable future use of the vegetable. Unlike the normal onions, spring onions should be refrigerated. They should not be stored at room temperature as they contain a lot of moisture, and are immature. Therefore it is better to store them in a sealed plastic bag. They can last for a couple of weeks when stored in this way. It should be kept away from foods which can absorb odors.

Can You Freeze Spring Onion?

You can freeze spring onions, because it contains a lot of moisture. But it cannot be freeze directly. It should be kept in a sealed plastic bag before freezing. If they are freezed directly, then there are chances of the onions getting dehydrated. Therefore while freezing spring onions; make sure that you are not freezing  it barely.

Shallot Spring Onion

Shallots are a kind of multiplier onion, but are not exactly onions. They belong to the Allium cepa species. They are a variety of onions, but their taste is milder and sweeter than the common onions. They are more expensive than spring onions and can be stored for a longer time. It can also be eaten raw or may be cooked.

Green Onion Seeds

You can directly grow a spring onion plant in your garden by planting the green onion seeds or the spring onion seeds in your garden. This type of plant takes a short season to grow as it is directly grown from the seeds. The seeds should be planted in a sunny location, and the soil should be well drained. When provided a suitable with a suitable atmosphere, the spring onion seedlings will grow into a good baby plant, and thereby into a well grown plant.  These seeds should be covered with soil and requires regular watering.

Spring Onion Substitute

There are some substances which can be used as a substitute to spring onions. The substances which are commonly used are:

• Chopped Daikon
• Asafetida
• Fresh herbs with similar taste
• Chives

Spring Onion Garnish

Spring onions are used as a wonderful garnishing agent. They make the food look delicious.

Spring Onion Recipe

Spring onions can be used to prepare a wide range of dishes. These dishes are not only good to taste, but looks good, because spring onions are also used to garnish the food. Spring onions garnish the food in such a way that the dish appears delicious, and the person develops an appetite for it. The various spring onion recipes that can be prepared with spring onions are as follows:

• Spring onion soup – It is a delicious and a healthy soup, which is generally consumed when it is warm. It has a great taste, and includes garlic, parsley and other vegetables also.
• Spring onion mash – In this dish, the main ingredient could be either, pork, beef or any other meat.  Spring onion is finely chopped, and when it is cooked, it gets mashed in the dish. It is a yummy dish for the non-vegetarians.
• Spring onion curry – Spring onions can be used to prepare a wide range of delicious curries. Some common curries that are prepared with it are – spring onion and tomato curry, Paneer spring onion masala and many more.
• Spring onion pancake recipe – Delicous pancakes can be prepared with the help of spring onions. These pancakes can be served with sauce or can even be eaten without any additional sauce.
• Spring onion Dip – It can be prepared with the help of spring onions, garlic and sugar. This dip can be enjoyed after refrigerating it can be used as a starter in sandwiches, or can be accompanied with the main course.
• Spring onion rice – Spring onions can be confidently used to prepare fried vegetable rice. It is a spring onion Indian recipe. It is very easy to cook, and tastes very good.
• Spring onion salad – Since it is a leafy vegetable, it is often used in the preparation of healthy salads. It is added to the salad not only to enhance its taste, but also because of the health benefits that it provides. It also provides the additional benefit of acting as a good garnishing agent.
• Spring onion chutney – Green tomato and spring onion chutney is very healthy and tasty chutney.
• Spring onion crisps – The Tudor crisps is a well known crisp that has spring onion as its ingredient.
• Spring onion vegetable – you can prepare delicious cooked vegetable with spring onion. The traditional vegetables like Kandyachya Patichi Bhaji. Can be cooked. It is delicious to taste.

Spring Onion Picture

Spring onions are a very nutritious vegetable. They should be included in your daily diet as t provides you with a host of benefits. It is very delicious and also enhances the flavor of the dishes to which it is added.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallion

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-spring-onions.htm

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/spring-onion-glossary

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/greenonions.htm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article2388206.ece