Here is something to satisfy the most curious among you regarding our onions.
The rare pearl !
Yellow Cipollini Onion
Allium cepa 'Borettana'
We could just as easily call it “ small yellow onion " since cipollini is a diminutive of the Italian word onion which means onion.
This exceptional onion emerged during the 14e century in the town of Boretto, in northern Italy.
Fallen under the spell, many travelers facilitated its dissemination across Europe taking it with them in their luggage. Italian immigrants did the same, bringing it across the Atlantic.
Prized by the greatest chefs, this onion as big as a flattened golf ball is distinguished by its spicy and robust taste which softens when cooked. Thanks to a high sugar level, they make the tastiest caramelized onions ever!
The small bulbs have translucent white flesh covered with pale golden yellow skin.
- This very thin skin makes them difficult to peel, unless you know the expert tip : blanch them quickly then immerse them in ice water so that the skin comes off more easily.
We harvest them after 80 days in the vegetable garden, i.e. 3 cm in summer and up to 10 cm in autumn. These little wonders twist like garlic and must be stored in a cool, dry place.
These are not the longest-lived onions in the pantry. Also, we keep a few braids for quick consumption and we transform the rest of the harvest into pickles.
We enjoy it caramelized, but they also attract many praises in stews, roasts and casseroles.
Founded in the middle of the 9e century, the municipality of Boretto belongs to the region of Émilie-Romagne located between Lombardy and Tuscany. In addition to this tasty onion, the region owes its delicious Parma ham and parmesan cheese.
Onions to bundle and adopt
Allium fistulosum
Parade
This variety lives up to its name: onions of a exceptional uniformity stand straight like soldiers on parade!
Vigorous, they form impeccable rows 20-30 cm high. Because the plants produce few or no bulbs, the clumps of dark green leaves are very easy to clean.
Besides their beautiful appearance, they have this good taste of sweet onion which is suitable for all dishes.
Maturity: 70-80 days.
Dark purple
In addition to being easy to grow and low maintenance, Dark purple resists cold which allows a harvest late in the season or cultivation in cold areas like at the Jardins de l'écoumène.
He stands out with his excellent spicy flavor and its pronounced color. In fact, the bulbous part takes on an incredible intense fuchsia-purple hue which varies slightly depending on the growing conditions.
The transition between the emerald green of the leaves and the wine color of the bulb is highlighted with bright white.
Unlike most other red bulb varieties, Dark Purple bunching onions keep their magnificent color as they age and in all temperatures.
They are causing a sensation s and in a multitude of dishes.
Maturity: 60 days.
The one and only onion – potato!
Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Onion remarkably easy to grow, it multiplies like shallots, but produces larger bulbs than the latter.
Its name comes from its way of expanding tenfold, which is reminiscent of that of potatoes, because a single bulb in give a dozen others during the summer.
This ancient variety, very popular with our ancestors, would have arrived in North America with the first settlers of New France.
It has been replaced by more uniform selections that are easier to harvest mechanically, but its mild taste qualities have nothing to be ashamed of in comparison with their more modern relatives. Furthermore, the preservation onion-potato is higher to that of most other varieties!
At the Jardins de l'écumène, the harvest of this unique onion is done in September.
The bulbs which will garnish the table during the winter are then stored in a cool and dry place; those which will provide the next harvest are immediately transplanted into the garden. Well-stored bulbs can also be planted as soon as the soil is worked in spring.
Planting depth varies between 2,5 and 5 cm. Space the bulbs 20 to 25 cm apart in the row to give them enough space to multiply and grow.
This early selection is also distinguished by its large insect resistance.
Tasty bulb onions
Allium cepa
New York Early
This unique cultivar was developed for direct seeding in the rich, sticky soils of Orange County, New York. It adapts very well to the regions of Quebec located south of 50° north latitude.
We owe its reappearance on the market to the seed company Johny's Selected Seeds which has long ensured its conservation, while cleaning the selection which had lost consistency.
Despite being early, this onion keeps well until spring. This very reliable variety produces magnificent, firm bulbs 6 to 9 cm in diameter, whose skin takes on a warm rusty brown color.
The bright white flesh has a sweeter, more tender flavor than most other comparable onions, allowing us to eat it raw all winter long.
Maturity: 100 days.
Rossa di Milano
Combining a sweet flavor, abundant production and excellent storage performance, this open-pollinated onion has a lot to offer.
The elongated, medium-sized bulbs with a thin collar have an attractive skin. dark red, shiny and very tight.
The Italians mainly cook it in fried or caramelized rounds.
These long to intermediate day onions tolerate cold climates and measure on average 10 cm in diameter.
Maturity: 100 days.
Yellow of Parma
Originally from Italy, this beautiful round pyramidal onion with golden skin still remains among the Favourites in his native country, despite the competition. Its fame has spread throughout Europe where its aroma has been appreciated in cooked dishes for a very long time.
Excellent quality, it keeps exceptionally well in storage.
Its intense flavor is unsuitable for raw consumption, but when eaten slow cooked in soups and meat stews, it brings unparalleled richness to these dishes.
These qualities have earned it a place of pride in the cuisine of the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Umbria, the Italian capital of onions. L'Aquacotta is a specialty of the latter region.
The simplest dishes gain in refinement with the addition of this onion, for example baked in the oven or in breaded slices accompanied by anchovy fillets and cheese shavings.
Seeds should be sown indoors 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting to the garden. Variety of long days.
Maturity: 110 days.
