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Onions |
Onion is a
term used for many plants in the genus
Allium. They are known by the common name
"onion" but, used without qualifiers, it
usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa
is also known as the "garden onion" or
"bulb" onion. It is grown underground by the
plant as a vertical shoot that is used for
food storage, leading to the possibility of
confusion with a tuber, which it is not.
Allium Cepa is known only in cultivation,
but related wild species occur in Central
Asia. The most closely-related species
include Allium vavilovii Popov & Vved. and
Allium asarense R.M. Fritsch & Matin from
Iran. However Zohary and Hopf warn that
"there are doubts whether the vavilovii
collections tested represent genuine wild
material or only feral derivatives of the
crop. |
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Cooking Tips:
Higher humidities, at which most other vegetables keep best in
storage, may cause onions to grow roots, rot, and develop
surface mold. Excessive drying, however, may result in cracking
or loss (bald onions) of the outer bulb scales. |
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