Hawaii's Share Your Table

How to pick an onion

Onions should be firm and heavy for their size, with dry, papery skins.

Sweet onions versus regular onions

Sweet onions, such as Maui onions, contain more sugars and are milder in taste due to lower levels of sulfur compounds. Sweet onions are ideal for eating for raw, such as for salads and sandwiches, whereas regular onions are better for soups, stews and stock. Sweet onions have a thinner, lighter skin than regular onions.

Storage Tips

Keep onions in a cool, dark place. Regular onions will keep for a few months if stored properly, whereas sweet onions have a shorter shelf life due to higher water content. Sweet onions are best used within a few weeks.

If you don't plan on using the whole onion, cut and peel only what you need and store the rest in the fridge, tightly wrapped. Cut onions will keep for a few days in the fridge.