Ewa sweet onions are in season right now and harvesting is underway at Kapolei's Aloun Farms. They will be available throughout Hawaii in local grocery stores and markets.

Aloun Farms also helps local organizations with their fundraising efforts, paying groups with members over the age of 15, to harvest their Ewa Sweet Onions. For more information contact Terry Phillips at Aloun Farms at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or call (808) 677-9516. Fax: (808) 677-9202.

Tips: Selection and Storage

Generally, sweet onions are in season during the late spring/early summer months. Our onion season begins now and will continue to be available into June.

• Choose onions with tightly closed necks that are absolutely dry, avoiding those with a thick, woody center in the neck. The skin should be bright and shiny. If you notice dark, powdery patches under the skin, pass it up as this is an indication of a common mold which will eventually spoil the flesh.
• Sprouting is an indication of age and poor storage. Yet, if the sweet onions have sprouted in your pantry, you can use the green sprouts as a substitute for green onions (also called scallions) even if the flesh may be useless.

Sweet onions have a shorter shelf life than common varieties due to a higher water and sugar content. Thus, it's important to store them properly.

• Ideally, sweet onions should be stored in a cool, dark, dry location and spread out for optimum air circulation. Some growers suggest placing onions in a clean pair of pantyhose, with knots tied in between each onion, then hung in a cool, dry place. Just snip off below each knot when you need one.
• Stored properly, sweet onions should last in your pantry about ten days to two weeks.
• Cut, raw onion leftovers should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated to be used within a few days.
• Although sweet onions are best eaten raw, they can be chopped and frozen for future cooking uses, with no blanching necessary. Frozen onions begin to lose their flavor after about twelve months in the freezer.
• Cooking converts the sometimes spicy/hot all-purpose onion into sweet morsels. Cooked sweet onions are even sweeter yet.

Broke “da mouth” Pickled Ewa Sweet Onions
Serve as a pupu or side dish.

Ingredients:
1 Gallon Glass Jar
3-4 lbs ALOUN FARMS EWA SWEET ONIONS, cleaned and trimmed
Distilled vinegar, Sugar, Hawaiian Salt, Water and Chili pepper (optional)

Instructions:
Wash and clean jar.
Fill jar 1/2 way with distilled vinegar.
Add sugar and Hawaiian Salt to Taste.
Add Aloun Farms Ewa Sweet Onions and Chili Pepper.
You may boil Vinegar, Sugar, water and salt to blend ingredients. Be sure to cool completely before adding Aloun Farms Sweet Onions.

Aloun Farms Ewa Sweet Salsa

Ingredients:
6 large red tomatoes
1(L) Ewa Sweet onion chopped
3 Ears of Aloun Farms Ewa Sweet Corn
1-2 cloves of Fresh garlic– minced
1 bunch of Chinese parsley chopped
Juice of 1 lime
3 stalks of green onion chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Jalapeno pepper minced fine, seeds removed (optional)

Instructions: Wash and prepare vegetables and herbs. Put in a large mixing bowl. Cut kernels from ears of corn, add to bowl with the juice of 1 lime. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste. Add jalapeno if you like your salsa spicy. Let sit for one hour before serving.

Related Links:

www.alounfarms.com - Aloun Farms

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