Onions are part of the allium family. They share their ancestry with shallots, garlic, leeks and chives. View the information below for information about your favourite alliums, along with helpful tips on preparation and cooking.

Brown Onions

These are the most common onions available in the UK, and are seen as the staple product of the onion world. They are versatile and can be used in almost any savoury dish. Brown onions, in general, have quite a strong flavour but this can vary considerably depending on time of year and variety. Chop up and sauté with a little butter until golden brown for an ideal accompaniment to any dish.

Red Onions

Obviously characterised by their deep red or almost purple skin, red onions are excellent for adding colour to raw dishes such as salads or salsas. Flavour, again, may vary throughout the year depending on the country of origin and variety. Red onions are delicious cut into wedges, with the skin on, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cracked black pepper then roasted in the oven. This method concentrates the flavour. Some of the tastiest red onions come from southern Italy. A variety called Tropea is believed to be among the sweetest, mildest red onions, but don't forget our home grown British red onions.

White Onions

White onions are used more widely in Europe than in the UK. They have a distinctive bright white outer skin and are recommended for use in spicy dishes such as curries or Mexican food as they are normally quite strong. They may be a little too hot for eating raw unless customers like their sandwiches to be fiery!

Pickling Onions

Pickled onions could not be easier to prepare – all that is required is vinegar, salt, herbs and spices and, of course, pickling onions. Leave for a few weeks according to taste and serve with mature cheese and crusty bread for a tasty evening treat. Alternatively, pickling onions can be roasted whole in their skins around a joint of meat. Simply pop the onions out of their skins when the roast is ready and serve with the meat.

SupaSweet Onions

In America, sweet onions are big business. The craze has not quite caught on here yet but as the UK’s foremost producer of sweet onions, Moulton Bulb would like that to change. The biggest development in the past few years in the onion world has come from the UK developed and grown Supasweet onions. Moulton Bulb has been supporting the project from the start and consequently has supplied Waitrose with more sweet onions than ever before. Sweet onions have a low pyruvate level, which means they do not leave a lingering aftertaste and are less likely to make the chef cry when peeling them! They are great for slicing up and tossing in a salad or for adding to a favourite cheese sandwich. This year, Moulton Bulb co are making your life even easier by removing the outer skin from the supasweet onion to show its true potential as a supa fresh, supasweet onion. The onions are harvested, packed and onto Waitrose shelves faster than any other onion to preserve the freshness. This year they are available in Asda, Co op and Waitrose.

Shallots

Shallots, with a more concentrated and spicier flavour than onions, have a delicious piquancy, which adds flair and sophistication to many dishes. A refined and authentic ingredient of cuisines worldwide, shallots are an essential component of many Oriental and European dishes. There is a unique grower-funded website, UKShallot.com, (supported by Oldershaws of Moulton, among other UK shallot growers) which provides an enormous amount of information about shallots.

"UK Shallots are very versatile and add to the clarity of my dishes. I am amazed that product of this quality, produced in the same area in which I am based is available on my doorstep- unbelievable!" Jean Christophe Novelli

Garlic

Said to keep the vampires at bay, garlic can be used in any savoury dish to give it that extra hit of flavour. It is becoming ever more popular to roast the garlic bulb whole and squeeze the cloves out once the garlic has become sweet and puree soft. Moulton Bulb supplies a wide range of garlic products to the UK multiples, including fresh green garlic, and garlic strings. Solo garlic is a mild form of garlic, where each bulb comprises of only one clove. Fresh garlic has a short supply window, but with its immature taste, is very mild and sweet - ideal for roasting whole.