How to tell if onions are ripe when buying at grocery store?

Question

The past couple of times I've bought white onions at the grocery store they've had a very bitter, nasty aftertaste. Once it even ruined the meal I was making, and I had to throw the whole thing out. Other times I get, what appears to me, the exact same onions, and they are great. Does anyone know what I should look for when buying white onions at the grocery? Appearance? Feel? Smell? Size? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hi !!!
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Look for onions that feel dry and solid all over, with no soft spots or sprouts. The neck should be tightly closed and the outer skin should have a crackly feel and a shiny appearance. Onions should smell mild, even if their flavor is not. Avoid selecting onions with green areas or dark patches.

Pick your onions that appear to be heavy for their size. The skin should be dry and papery. There should be no soft spots of black spots, indicating mildew from moisture.

Answer 2

I have to agree with a combination of the first two posters' answers. While color is a nice indicator, I've found that smell and the leaf test work the best. The sweetest pineapples I've ever bough have always had a wonderful, fresh (not fermented) pineapple fragrance with a top that literally twisted right off with minimal effort. Be wary of pineapples that feel too spongy and give off a fermented, almost wine-like, aroma. They have have been hanging around a bit too long on the shelves. I always look on the bottom of the pineapple because that's where sure signs of age (such as mold) begin to show.

Answer 3

Onions don't really get "ripe". They're bulbs that grow underground and can be harvested anytime after they sprout. Onions harvested early in their life cycle are known as green onions or scallions. Ones harvested later are just called onions. The other people who answered are correct...pick ones that are firm, seem heavy for their size and have no black mold or visible sprouts. They're the freshest ones. But the problem you have with some being significantly stronger than others has less to do with age and more to do with where they're grown. Onions grown in soil with a high sulfur content will be harsher than ones grown in other types of soil. It's the sulfur in onions that causes the strong taste and makes your eyes water when you cut into it. Take advantage of the advice of another answerer...yellow Vidalia onions (which are sweet because of the soil in the area of Georgia where they're grown) are widely available right now. And when they're no longer available, look for Maui sweets or Texas 1015s. They have a similarly low sulfur content. In fact, yellow onions frequently have lower sulfur levels than white ones do. It's just an onion genetic thing.

Answer 4

Onions do not really get "ripe" the same way fruits do. Select ones that have dry, unbroken outer skin that clings tightly to the bulb itself. The bulb should be firm with no soft spots. Lastly, there shouldn't be any green sprouts at the top of the bulb.

Answer 5

Pinky, you really know your onions!:)...I agree with you and BigDog: switch to sweet VIDALIA onions! You can get them everywhere now, and nearly all year long. The are always delicious.

Try my own recipe for bbq (or baked) onion:
Peel a large Vidalia onion, make deep cuts vertically into the onion without going all the way through, open up the onion slightly (it will look like a flower opening) and sprinkle with a little salt and some freshly ground pepper, add 2-3 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Wrap in aluminum foil and cook in BBQ (or bake in oven) at medium temperature until tender. Open aluminum foil and let onion brown. Enjoy with steak or hamburger or on its own. You may not want to share!

Answer 6

Give it a squeeze and they should feel very hard without any give and it should fit half way in the palm of your hand, meaning the onion should be bigger than your palm. Also sniff. They should have a slight bitter scent if any at all. No scent is prime as well.

Answer 7

Firm, no green sprouts, no black mold.

Switch to sweet yellow, especially Videllia.

Answer 8

they need to smell strong and make you cry. They also need to be radient in color