Purple and red onions: when to harvest, how to store, grow and care with photo

Purple onion is a type of onion. Those who have not eaten it may be confused by the color of the pulp and onion peel.

Their shades vary in intensity from variety to variety, but they all belong to the red-violet range, so many people think that this is a red onion.

Features of red onion

All varieties with reddish flesh, like traditional onions (white flesh, yellow husk) are divided into three groups according to taste:

spicy varieties;
peninsular varieties;
sweet varieties.

Pulp of spicy varieties still tastes less harsh than bulbs with yellow husks. There are many varieties and hybrids of purple onions. For any region, you can choose a variety that is suitable in terms of ripening. You need to pay attention to the keeping quality characteristic if the goal is to grow purple onions for winter storage. Most varieties of red onions have a salad purpose and do not store well.

About the benefits

Now everyone is passionately interested in the topic of he althy eating, actively studying the beneficial properties of foods, fruits and vegetables. Favorites are those vegetables that contain vitamins and useful trace elements. It is the healing composition of the pulp that explains the interest in the red (purple) variety of onions that has grown in recent years.

Red varieties contain a complete set of trace elements and a large amount of vitamin C.

As you know, we need it to protect against the aggressive influence of the external environment, helps keep our immunity in shape, fight various seasonal infections and keep cancer cells under control.

The composition of the juice and pulp of the red turnip contains anthocyanins - pigments (coloring substances from the group of glycosides), which have an antioxidant effect. Once in the body, glycosides:

fight bacteria;
normalize blood sugar levels;
slow down the aging process in the body;
help prevent cancer.

Nutritionists have noticed the beneficial properties of the red vegetable, in their opinion, women achieve results faster by including it in their daily diet. The body is cleansed of toxins, the digestive system comes into tone, fats are broken down, bad cholesterol is removed.

It is useful for women to use purple onions during menstruation, it reduces pain, normalizes the duration of the menstrual cycle. Red turnip juice is used to treat colds, bronchitis, it is used for prevention during epidemics of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza.

The medicinal properties of the purple vegetable are not limited to this. Red (purple) turnip is useful for people prone to allergies, it contains quercetin, which helps relieve unpleasant symptoms and reduces swelling. Studies have shown that daily consumption of red onion improves the condition of blood vessels, reduces the risk of stroke, heart attack.

There is a category of people who benefit and harm from eating red onions. Caution should be used by people with severe pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver. Pregnant and lactating women should eat the red turnip in moderation, during this period of life, any excesses are harmful.

Some easy recipes

Use purple onion juice for minor he alth problems and cosmetic purposes. This is an excellent folk remedy for hair care. Before washing your hair, you need to rub a small amount of purple turnip juice into the scalp. The mask improves the appearance of hair, makes it shiny, helps get rid of dandruff, stimulates growth.

Red onion juice will help if you are bitten by mosquitoes or other blood-sucking insects. They need to lubricate the bites, itching and inflammation will pass. Juice will help with sprains, you can do compresses with it, they will help relieve inflammation, reduce pain.

You can solve more serious he alth problems with purple onion juice:

Fight worms. To do this, pour 1 head for 7 hours with 1 glass of warm, boiled water. Drink on an empty stomach ½ cup for 5 days.
For colds (ARVI, ARI), mix juice with honey 1: 1 and drink at least 4 times a day, 1 tbsp. l.
Use an infusion of 2 crushed heads in warm water (1 cup) as a diuretic. Infuse for 8 hours, drink ¼ cup 3 times a day.

Grow red onions!

In any supermarket you can buy a he althy vegetable, but onions from the garden, grown with your own hands, will bring more benefits. It is grown in the same way as ordinary onions, propagated using sets.

Choice variety

Summer residents should pay attention to Carmen - a new variety of purple onions with a beautiful name. It has a spicy taste, juicy. An average-sized turnip weighs about 80 g, large bulbs - 120 g. The better the agricultural technology, the more convincing the size. It is not for nothing that Carmen is called a red onion, the husk is shiny, red, red-blue or red-violet.

Two-bearing variety of Dutch selection, sings early (85-90 days), recommended for cultivation throughout the Russian Federation. Residents of the northern regions should pay attention to the Carmen onion, it has time to ripen during a short summer. The turnip has a rounded flattened shape, feather length is 30 cm. The color of the pulp is white, the taste is semi-sharp. Carmen onions are used raw, they are great for salads, they contain a lot of vitamin C.

Landing

The place under the onion bed should be well lit, rainwater should not stagnate between the rows. Light and fertile soil with a pH of 6 to 7 is more suitable for growth. In spring or autumn, dolomite flour should be applied if the pH is lower (soil is acidic).

For digging, you need to add humus (compost) and ash, organics are brought in moderation, the excess worsens the keeping quality. Sevok grows well after any kind of cabbage, legumes and potatoes.Its plantings can be combined with carrots. These two cultures are good neighbors, they scare away pests from each other: onion and carrot flies.

Process the sevok before planting. Hold for 30 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate to destroy harmful microorganisms. To speed up germination, soak in a growth stimulant. Transfer the processed purple turnip to a canvas bag, plant it in open ground after 2 days. Planting depth of purple onions is from 1 to 2 cm, planting pattern is 310 cm.

Care

When growing red onion varieties for storage, the feather is not cut during the season. Organize culture standard care. Watering is carried out as the top layer of the earth dries up, they should be plentiful, surface watering has a bad effect on productivity. From mid-July, watering stops.

During the planting season, they are fed - the first time with a solution of mullein 2-3 weeks after planting, the second time, when the onions begin to tie, the surface of the ridge is densely powdered with sifted ash and poured with water from a watering can.Until the stems are closed, carry out shallow loosening of the row spacing. In late June - early July, powder the purple onion beds with shag from the onion fly.

Harvesting

Watering stops 10-14 days before harvesting. When to dig out, they will know by the state of the neck. It must be dry. By the time the purple turnip is harvested, most of the feather should dry out and turn yellow, and purple (red) scales should appear on the bulbs. Deciding when to harvest onions, be sure to check the weather forecast. Better if the day is warm and sunny.

Bulbs plucked in rainy weather take longer to dry and are less stored. Do not cut the feather immediately, if possible, dry the onion in the sun for several days and only then cut the stems, leaving tails from 3 to 5 cm. Clean the surface of the onion scales from dirt, tear off the roots.

How to store bulbs?

Any room with constant humidity and air temperature will do. Bulbs are well stored if the temperature does not exceed 18 ° C, and the air humidity is kept at 60%. There are several ways to store harvested purple onion varieties.

Purple turnip can be poured into old tights and hung in the pantry, you can weave braids. Red (purple) onion heads, collected in beautiful bunches, can be used as a decorative element when decorating a kitchen in a country house and in a city apartment.

A large number of purple heads are best stored in boxes (wooden, plastic, baskets) or on special racks. During storage, the red turnip should be subjected to periodic inspection, specimens with signs of decay should be removed.

Conclusion

Many interesting purple varieties of onions are waiting for summer residents on the shelves of gardening stores. Be sure to choose the right option for you. Purple bulbs will add variety to the menu and improve he alth.