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Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,177
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Sure is a lot of difference in the acid of every brand of Vidalia's that claim to be from Ga.  I pay a fortune for mine to be shipped to me (20lb.) but, they're the best. You can eat like an apple,

 

I go to Sam's Club and get a bag pertaining to be Vidalia's and they're hot as red peppers but they say they're raised in Ga and said Vidalia on the bag.

 

I always thought you had to really walk the line and maybe have a special license to raise them and claim to be the real McCoy. Wonder how these other people can call theirs Vidalia and says on the bag "raised in Ga." making you think your getting a non acid product. Guess you go by price.

I paid 7 for a 10lb bag from Sam's and 36.95 for the REAL deal straight from the onion farm in Georgia

 

I'll probably give away the Sam's Club onions those things would put hair on your chest might as well just buy those horrible yellow onions from the market.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 44,347
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

@SharkE,If you care to sweeten them up a little, put diced onions in vinegar water.  The ones I got from Sams are ok.

 

Also, the more pointed the ends of the onion, the hotter it will be.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,917
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@SharkE Try slicing them and soaking in cold water...gets the hot out for me

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,177
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

These are jumbos ! I'm a onion lover and can eat them like an apple LOL

Most of the ones that I don't pay a fortune for would take out my stomach if I ate 'em like that. LOL

I just order the mediums from Georgia farms.

 

I'm not real big on vinegar. My mother in law used to make some kind of disgusting, stinking mess called cucumbers in vinegar ! When you walked in her kitchen it would knock U backwards.

 

Stink o' rama LOL  Woman had weird recipes for deviled eggs and something called 'dressed bananas' I told hubbo I'm not making that **** "

He won't eat my deviled eggs LOL

 

way your raised. Her dressing was horrible too. ROFL She used to think I was from outer space because I would put jam on a biscuit and eat it with the main meal. In her mind that was for dessert. LOL

 

Weird folks, that lot.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,177
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

@dex wrote:

@SharkE Try slicing them and soaking in cold water...gets the hot out for me


Yeah, I got one in bowl of cold water right now. Nice looking onions, but, geez they're strong guess I got used to the tame ones and can't go back

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,758
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

I'm from south Georgia about an hour south of Vidalia.  It is the soil that makes them so sweet.  Vidalia onions have to be grown in soil in a certain part of Georgia in and around the city Vidalia and county Toombs county.  There are other counties around Toombs that have the right soil, but they are all still certified Vidalia onions because of the soil.  The authorities test the soil before they are certified.  Some people used to think it was the seeds, but it isn't.  There is big science and research done by the University of Georgia into Vidalia onions including the seeds and the soil.  Most farmers these days have college degrees in agriculture and agri-sciences.  I'm not a big onion eater myself, so when all the local schools do their fund raisers of selling Vidalia onions $20 for a 10 pound bag....I think that's the price or vice versa....I skip it.  They are much better caramelize or cooked on the grill, wrapped in tin foil, studded with butter, salt and pepper, then grilled.  They melt in your mouth.  I only eat onions cooked.  They cause indigestion when they are raw.  They are also good in stews like roast beef or roasted in the oven with other veggies.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,328
Registered: ‎10-21-2014

I would recommend looking up "Vidalia Onion" on Wikipedia. Very interesting reading and explains the difference.                 

 

Did the bag also say "sweet" onions? If so, I'd bring the issue up with the store. Otherwise the difference you experienced is more than likely just due to the onions being sourced from a different farm in the area that starts with a different onion and/or has a different amount of sulpher in the soil.

 

Honestly, it sounds like you've found, and are used to the taste of, some very specific onions That I'm sure plays a part also, same as what's mild salsa to some, burns the mouth of others. My former co-workers made some of the best salsa I've ever tasted. But you always had to test the heat first. And there were a couple of people over the years who couldn't even use the tiniest amount, no matter how mild.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,177
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

@Tigriss wrote:

I'm from south Georgia about an hour south of Vidalia.  It is the soil that makes them so sweet.  Vidalia onions have to be grown in soil in a certain part of Georgia in and around the city Vidalia and county Toombs county.  There are other counties around Toombs that have the right soil, but they are all still certified Vidalia onions because of the soil.  The authorities test the soil before they are certified.  Some people used to think it was the seeds, but it isn't.  There is big science and research done by the University of Georgia into Vidalia onions including the seeds and the soil.  Most farmers these days have college degrees in agriculture and agri-sciences.  I'm not a big onion eater myself, so when all the local schools do their fund raisers of selling Vidalia onions $20 for a 10 pound bag....I think that's the price or vice versa....I skip it.  They are much better caramelize or cooked on the grill, wrapped in tin foil, studded with butter, salt and pepper, then grilled.  They melt in your mouth.  I only eat onions cooked.  They cause indigestion when they are raw.  They are also good in stews like roast beef or roasted in the oven with other veggies.


Thanks for that information. I think the farmers sell the less then good ones up North  and the tame ones you have to pay for the privilege.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,454
Registered: ‎11-03-2013

Re: Vidalia onions

[ Edited ]

@Tigriss wrote:

I'm from south Georgia about an hour south of Vidalia.  It is the soil that makes them so sweet.  Vidalia onions have to be grown in soil in a certain part of Georgia in and around the city Vidalia and county Toombs county.  There are other counties around Toombs that have the right soil, but they are all still certified Vidalia onions because of the soil.  The authorities test the soil before they are certified.  Some people used to think it was the seeds, but it isn't.  There is big science and research done by the University of Georgia into Vidalia onions including the seeds and the soil.  Most farmers these days have college degrees in agriculture and agri-sciences.  I'm not a big onion eater myself, so when all the local schools do their fund raisers of selling Vidalia onions $20 for a 10 pound bag....I think that's the price or vice versa....I skip it.  They are much better caramelize or cooked on the grill, wrapped in tin foil, studded with butter, salt and pepper, then grilled.  They melt in your mouth.  I only eat onions cooked.  They cause indigestion when they are raw.  They are also good in stews like roast beef or roasted in the oven with other veggies.


@Tigriss oh goodness this so takes me back . . . my ex and I were driving into work and suddenly he made a quick right into a parking lot which more than startled me . . . it was I believe for the Shriners that annually sell a large bag of Vidalia's for their charity so we bought a bag.  I live in IL and although we are rather far from you, I guess they skipped the commercially shipped produce as those were the best onions I have ever had in my life!  I do enjoy the Vidalia's that make it to our stores up here but I have to say they did not stack up to those sold by the Shriner's.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,847
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Vidalia onions

[ Edited ]

I never met an onion I didn't like.  Right now I am down to my last 3 onions; in December I had 100 lbs of them in my garage, large sweet onions my trucker daughter bought in WA.   I did have to cut and freeze several bruised onions to keep from losing them; they come in handy for stir fry and roasts.   

 

My local grocery has 3 lb bags of vidalias on sale this week, so a trip to the store is planned for Wednesday.   I get excited over vidalias, and can't wait to enjoy a big thick slice on a hamburger!    

 

My family loves cucumbers and onions soaked in vinegar; we eat them most often in the summer months, and always with beans, baked beans, pinto beans, great northern, etc.